MAYOR DE BLASIO EXTENDS ROCKAWAY FERRY SERVICE
NEW YORK-Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the extension of weekday ferry service between the Rockaways and Lower Manhattan. The ferries, which also stop in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, were slated to end on January 31. The extension until May, with an option to extend until August, will allow the city's Economic Development Corporation to issue a request for proposals to determine the viability of long-term service and identify an operator for the line. The ferry service launched in November 2012 and has carried more than 200,000 passengers since.
"We are committed to the Rockaways' recovery. From accelerating rebuilding programs to today's ferry extension, we are going to keep our focus on communities hit hard by Sandy to ensure no one is left behind," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"I applaud the decision of Mayor de Blasio to extend ferry service in the Rockaways. Affordable and fast transportation is vital to the growth and future of the peninsula. I also look forward to the upcoming RFP process and moving forward with making this essential service permanent," said QueensBorough President Melinda Katz.
"The Rockaway ferry has become a lifeline for so many families still recovering from Sandy," said Assembly Member Phil Goldfeder. "Increased transit options, including the ferry, will allow our community to thrive and our small businesses to grow. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio and Borough President Melinda Katz for their steadfast commitment to the families of southern Queens and Rockaway, and for their long-term vision for our community."
The service, operated by Seastreak, will continue to run on its current schedule and charge $3.50 per ride. Ferries will continue to connect Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways, where the Economic Development Corporation has installed a temporary landing, the Brooklyn Army Terminal (serving Sunset Park and Bay Ridge) and Pier 11/Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. Free transfers are offered between Pier 11 and East 34th Street in Midtown.
NYCEDC, on behalf of the city, will issue a Request for Proposals next month to determine the potential for long-term ferry operation for the route. Response to the RFP will be evaluated in tandem with ridership levels during the extension to determine if service will be additionally renewed throughAugust 1, 2014.
This is the fourth extension of the ferry service since its initial launch in November 2012, two weeks after Hurricane Sandy devastated waterfront communities across the city. The ferry was a critical mode of inter-borough public transportation available to Rockaway residents during the seven-month A-train suspension after the hurricane. In August 2013, the Brooklyn Army Terminal landing, located at 58th Street in Sunset Park, was added to the existing Rockaway service to provide further transit options for Brooklyn commuters impacted by Sandy-related long-term disruptions to the R train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Existing parking at Beach 108th Street in the Rockaways- which is being provided by National Grid-and at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park will remain available to passengers. The expanded ferry service is being coordinated on behalf of the city by NYCEDC. A full list of schedules and fares can be found
here.
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