The new East River ferry service turned six months old earlier this month.
On Thursday, Dec. 15, City Councilmember Margaret Chin along with Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other city officials greeted morning ferry commuters and provided free service and coffee aboard the ferry that day.
Close to 500,000 passengers rode the new service to and from Wall Street since this summer, surpassing the city’s anticipated ridership of 409,000, according to the City Council’s office.
“The East River ferry has exceeded expectations and has proven to be an indispensable resource for Lower Manhattan residents and New Yorkers alike,” said Chin. “Making full use of our waterways is very important, and I hope that the popularity of the ferry means we can expand this service in the future.”
“The fact that the East River ferry ridership is shattering projections in only six months is proof that commuters and tourists alike are discovering both the beauty and convenience of traveling borough by borough on the East River by ferry,” said Quinn. “The [service] has proven to not only provide a more scenic means of transportation, but also a more environmentally friendly, and in some cases, a less time consuming commute for riders.”
