The city’s newest, faster ferry route From Bay Ridge to Wall Street debuted on Wednesday morning with much fanfare and special passengers including Mayor Eric Adams and Council Member Justin Brannan.
Part of the city’s “Ferry Forward” initiative, the pilot program gives riders a quicker morning commute by making fewer stops on the the way to Wall Street and Pier 11. The updated route will run on its expedited schedule weekday mornings from 6:15 to 10:15 a.m. reducing travel times by 20 minutes for some riders. No southern Brooklyn commuters will make more than two stops before arriving in Manhattan.
“This express ferry route is a huge win for residents of South Brooklyn, who have been isolated in a transit desert for too long,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “Equity, accessibility, and fiscal sustainability are at the heart of our administration’s vision for the NYC Ferry system, and today we are taking a major step forward on all three fronts. To our neighbors in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook, and across South Brooklyn who will benefit from much shorter commutes, I look forward to seeing you on the water soon.”
Some South Brooklyn morning routes include stops in Bay Ridge, Atlantic Avenue/Pier 6 and Wall Street. Other ferries will stop in Sunset Park, Governors Island, Red Hook, Pier 11, DUMBO and Corlears Hook.
According to Andrew Kimball, president and CEO for the city’s Economic Development Corporation, the new route is a part of the Mayor’s vision for a more accessible and more sustainable ferry system.
“Faster ferry connections in South Brooklyn will not only reduce morning commute times for riders but continues our Ferry Forward plan of bringing innovative and cost-effective solutions to NYC Ferry,” Kimball said in a statement. “We are thrilled to stand alongside Mayor Adams, Councilmember Brannan, and our other partners in the City Council, to ensuring NYC Ferry operates more efficiently and continues to connect millions of New Yorkers to jobs, schools, recreation, and our waterfront communities.”
Council Member Brannan, a long time champion of the Bay Ridge ferry, played a role in implementing an updated ferry schedule for southern Brooklyn commuters.
“An express ferry has always been the dream. For people who work in Manhattan, being able to get from Bay Ridge to Wall Street in under 20 minutes is an absolute game changer,” he said. “There is simply no other way to get to Manhattan that fast. I want to thank EDC for dealing with me for all the years I drove them crazy about making this happen. Today is a great day for Bay Ridge.”
Express ferry service between southern Brooklyn and Manhattan will end after 10:15am, and ferries will run on regular schedules for the rest of the day on weekdays and all day on weekends.
