By early June, Weehawken and Hoboken residents who commute to Brooklyn or Queens for work or recreation will be able to bypass the subways and make the journey by ferry.
Earlier this month, New York City awarded a $9 million, three-year contract to Billybey Ferry Co. for a new commuter boat service along the East River.
Billybey contracts with the Weehawken-based ferry operator New York Waterway to operate its 16 ferries under the NY Waterway brand.
What to expect
For North Jersey commuters heading to Brooklyn or Queens, the first leg of the trip will be a 15- to 20-minute ferry ride from Weehawken or Hoboken terminals to Pier 11.
That ferry will then stop at the two boroughs’ waterfronts, with a total of seven regular stops along the East River.
A new ferry service from New Jersey to Queens and Brooklyn will be available by early summer.
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The service will operate in both directions.
Two extra stops, at Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn (Brooklyn Bridge Park) and Governors Island, will operate during summer weekends.
Fares will cost $3 or $5.50 per trip under a two-zone ticket system, with one zone meaning three stops or less, and two zones, four stops or more.
Tickets will ultimately be available through the installation of ticket machines at many of the waterfront landings, but until those machines are operational, fares will be collected on board.
During weekday peak hours (7 to 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 7 p.m.), ferries will run approximately every 20 minutes, and during off-peak hours, ferries will run every 30 minutes during the summer and every 60 minutes during the winter.
Hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
New summertime destinations
Aside from shortening the commute of Northern Jerseyans employed in Brooklyn and Queens, the new ferry service puts within their reach a number of recreational options.
Two of the nine waterfront destinations, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governors Island, will now be easily accessible starting this summer.
Brooklyn Bridge Park features a full schedule of programming, with free events including a Movies with a View series, Waterfront Workouts, boating, and a variety of education programs.
Governors Island, a longtime popular tourist attraction, offers bike riding, picnicking, fairs, festivals, and concerts.
Ferries will accommodate bikes on board.
Local communities may beneft
In return, the Hudson River waterfront communities may prove a draw for residents in the East River communities.
“We want to thank New York City for giving us the opportunity to provide East River commuters with the same unparalleled level of safety, reliability, and convenience we have established for Hudson River commuters,” said Billybey Ferry Company co-owner and CEO Paul Goodman.
The new initiative is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn’s Waterfront Vision and Enhancement Strategy (WAVES), a blueprint to develop the city’s more than 500 miles of shoreline.
“The launch of this much anticipated mass transit option is particularly exciting as we continue to move large infrastructure projects forward in a responsible, efficient, and sustainable way,” Quinn said in a press release.
Deanna Cullen can be reached at dcullen@hudsonreporter.com.