NYC Ferry has proposed a sweeping overhaul of its route map that would, for the first time, directly link Staten Island and Brooklyn, while also expanding access between South Brooklyn and Manhattan.
The plan, announced by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, which oversees the ferry system and its private operator, comes in response to months of public feedback and aims to improve service across the network.
Under the proposal, the St. George route would be extended to include new stops at Bay Ridge, Atlantic Avenue, and Wall Street, creating a direct ferry connection between Staten Island and Brooklyn along the Hudson River.
The South Brooklyn route, currently serving Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, would be shifted northward to stop instead at East 34th Street in Manhattan. As a result, service to Sunset Park and Bay Ridge on that route would be discontinued.
In addition, the East River route would be split into two lines — designated A and B — with skip-stop service on the Brooklyn and Queens side of the river. The Rockaway and Soundview routes would also be merged into a single line, running from Rockaway to Ferry Point Park in Throgs Neck, Bronx.
“NYC Ferry is taking a fresh, holistic look across the system and proposing a comprehensive reconfiguration of routes to improve rider experience, fix known issues, and ensure NYC Ferry is a mainstay on our waterways for years to come,” said James Wong, Executive Director of NYC Ferry.
If approved, the changes would take effect in the winter, marking the most significant update to the ferry network since its launch in 2017. A final version of the new route map is expected in September.
