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Earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio's office announced that the first route in New York's new citywide ferry system will be launching on May 1, a month ahead of schedule. Last week, more details of the service were released, including the planned routes for each new ferry line and their corresponding schedules. The new information offers a much clearer picture of New York's newest seafaring option, which will add five new routes to the already existing East River Ferry. Here's a breakdown of what to expect on each new line.
Rockaway
The NYC Ferry's first new route will open on May 1, and will contain three stops: the Rockaways, Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park and Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan. The whole trip between each end of the line will take just under an hour, and will operate hourly on both weekdays and weekends.
South Brooklyn
The South Brooklyn route, which is scheduled to begin service on June 1, will have seven stops from Bay Ridge and Pier 11. On weekdays, the trip between each end of the line will take approximately 43 minutes. On weekends between 9:56am and 6:56pm, the service will make loops to Governors Island, and ferries will not make stops at the Red Hook landing during that time period. The South Brooklyn line will have ferries every half-hour during weekday rush hour, and will operate every 45 minutes during all other hours of operation.
Astoria
Set to launch in August, the NYC Ferry Astoria route will have five stops from Pier 11 and the Queens neighborhood. The trip between each end will be a quick 38 minutes, and trips will take off every 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes during all other times on weekdays. On weekends, the Astoria route will run every 35 minutes. With its regular schedule and speedy service between Queens and downtown, this route might be the most useful on the new system.
Lower East Side and Soundview
NYC Ferry's last two routes will open in 2018, and a schedule for either has yet to be released. The Lower East Side route will contain five stops: Long Island City, East 34th Street, Stuyvesant Cove, Grand Street and Pier 11. The total trip will take roughly 32 minutes. The Soundview route will offer commuters a relatively efficient alternative between the Bronx and downtown. The route will make stops at Clason Point, East 90th Street, East 62nd Street and Pier 11, and will take an estimated 43 minutes each way.