[title]
New York’s most scenic commute is getting a major glow-up: for the first time ever, the NYC Ferry will run a direct connection between Brooklyn and Staten Island. The St. George route, which launches on December 8, will plug straight into Brooklyn, connecting the borough to the rest of the system and finally bringing a long-requested transit link to life.
It’s part of the NYCEDC’s just-finalized Ferry Optimization Plan, which marks the first full redesign of the ferry network since it launched almost a decade ago. Nearly 15,000 riders weighed in on the proposed changes (most saying “more, please”), prompting the city to implement a new set of upgrades aimed at shortening riders’ trips and improving connections.
“From Throgs Neck to the Rockaways, our city’s ferries give New Yorkers and tourists alike a convenient, affordable way to travel across the five boroughs,” said mayor Eric Adams in an official statement. “We’ve already shattered ridership records this summer, and with this comprehensive redesign, we’ll embark on the next great stretch of NYC Ferry’s journey to bring this dynamic service to even more New Yorkers.”
Here’s what’s changing, all at once:
- The Brooklyn-Staten Island link will offer transfers to every other ferry line and first-time west-side Manhattan access from Brooklyn.
- The East River is now split into two routes most of the time; a local route will keep all stops connected on middays and winter weekends.
- The Soundview and Rockaway routes are now combined, which gives Rockaway and Sunset Park riders a one-seat ride to midtown and East 90th Street.
- South Brooklyn riders will now have a one-seat ride to midtown, alongside more frequent trips. Plus, a new summer-weekend extension will link Bay Ridge and Sunset Park to Red Hook.
Other changes to the service are mostly infrastructure-related. The East 34th Street terminal is getting a snazzy upgrade with more berths and more passenger space, while Homeport II, launching in 2027 in Red Hook, will house half the ferry fleet. Additionally, uptown and Brooklyn will be home to two new landings greenlit for design and community engagement: 125th Street in East Harlem and MADE–Bush Terminal in Sunset Park.
The bottom line: more connections, faster trips, new neighborhoods on the map—and a historic new Brooklyn-to-Staten Island shortcut that’s finally catching up to how New Yorkers actually move across the city.