A ferry at Hunters Point South in Long Island City (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
Nov. 3, 2017 by Nathaly Pesantez
The NYC Ferry system will work under new schedules starting on Nov. 4 to accommodate for the winter season.
The schedule changes, released on Nov. 1, show reduced service for the fleet of ferries across all lines, including the East River route and the newly implemented Astoria Route. Riders are expected to see the same frequency of service during weekday peak hours, but will see fewer vessels on weekends.
Commuters traveling via the East River Route will see 22 minute waits between ferries taking off from 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. and again between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., similar to the current 25 minute wait between each.
During off-peak hours for the winter schedule, vessels will arrive every 44 minutes along the East River Route.
For commuters on the Astoria route, vessels are expected to see no change in schedule during the morning and afternoon rush, with ferries taking off every 25 minutes. The ferries will arrive every 50 minutes during off peak hours, similar to the prior season’s schedule.
The Astoria route will see a significant reduction on weekends during the winter, with vessels taking off every 50 minutes as opposed to every 33 minutes in the warmer months. East River route ferries will take off every 45 minutes under the winter schedule, a 10 minute change from the former schedule.
Ferry landings will also see some changes in the winter months, as the Economic Development Corporation will be adding windscreens and infrared heaters to the sites.
The EDC did not immediately respond to questions on the length of the winter schedule to go into effect tomorrow.
The NYC Ferry system saw one million riders as of late July, three months after its launch.
For full winter schedules, visit the NYC Ferry page.
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8 Comments
“Commuters traveling via the East River Route will see 22 minute waits between ferries taking off from 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. and again between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., similar to the current 25 minute wait between each.
During off-peak hours for the winter schedule, vessels will arrive every 44 minutes along the East River Route.”
This is somewhat misleading, as the Wall Street ferry leaves at 6:20 P.M. on the East River route but there is no 6:42 ferry, the next is not until 7:04 P.M. In what world does the evening rush end at 6:20 P.M.?
On top of that, the Astoria route ferry leaves Wall Street at 6:27 P.M. and not again until 7:17 P.M. So no ferry northbound from 6:27 to 7:04 at all. There should be at least 3 ferries each hour from 5-7 and split the times of East River and Astoria so they leave every 10 minutes or so, rather than at basically the same time leaving an extensive wait. Foolish.
So let’s see. During peak hours you have fewer than 3 ferries per hour. During non peak hours, a little less than 1 1/2 ferries per hour.
These are 60 passenger ferries, so that is 180 people per hour during rush hour and 90 people per hour at other times.
Those are ridiculously small numbers – less than one subway car. Obviously this is all a show by our free spending politicians.
This could turn out to be almost as big a boondoggle as the Roosevelt Island tram.
Your neighbor you are right. It is basically a Dog & Pony show by the Politicians.
>The NYC Ferry system saw one million riders as of late July
Aka “ridiculously small numbers”? k
Yes, moving the equivalent of 1 subway car full of people per hour does qualify as “ridiculously small numbers”.
The Subway system moves 4.3MM riders Every DAY.
I think the cutback during mid day and weekends during winter is ok only in really cold weather. Still think that this is early. One thing I don’t like is the rockaway sunset to wall st ferry leaving 5 minutes earlier every morning.
they should increase the ferry, not decrease it…
Keep people waiting out in the cold or having to walk long distances to subway stations that are not very reliable these days…