The Soundview Ferry landing at Ferry Point Park in Throggs Neck is expected to be complete and operational in January 2022, officials with Democratic state Assemblyman Michael Benedetto’s office told the Bronx Times on Wednesday. The ferry stop — the Bronx’s second — extends Soundview ferry access into the east Bronx area, one of the more transit-bare locations in the Bronx.
The planned expansion of the existing route into Throggs Neck came after persistent advocacy from Benedetto and Democratic City Councilman Mark Gjonaj, District 13, who held a joint press conference last June in Ferry Point Park to call on the city to add another stop. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the expansion of NYC Ferry in his recent 2019 State of the City Address, and the news came as a pleasant surprise to the councilman.
“Last year, the first thing that I asked for in the budget process was this ferry extension to service a ‘transportation desert’ and make this a fairer city for all when it comes to transportation,” said Gjonaj in 2019. “I am really excited that the ferry is coming to Ferry Point Park.”
The ferry station includes upgrades to Ferry Point Park, including street widening and new benches along with an additional 210 parking spaces added to the parking lot. Service on the ferry to Soundview began in August 2018, and was carrying 670,000 riders — performing better than expected — in the first year of operation before the pandemic hit.
As more people began working from home during the pandemic, NYC Ferry ridership dropped to 70% of its pre-pandemic lockdown level. But the Soundview ferry was buoyed by a strong ridership in the Bronx, home to the largest population of essential workers, with ridership remaining at a strong 90% rate, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Before the ferry service began, Soundview residents faced 90-minute commutes to midtown and downtown destinations for work but once service began, many began experiencing reductions of up to an hour for their commutes.
Touting the benefits of the project, proponents expect the new ferry stop to provide commuters with another option when traveling to Manhattan, while bringing the same transportation options to the northeast Bronx that other parts of the city currently enjoy.
The landing will be added to Ferry Point Park at the start of the new year, with the route following the same course as the Soundview ferry with stops in Manhattan on the Upper East Side at East 90th Street, Midtown East at East 34th Street and Wall Street/Pier 11.
Reach Robbie Sequeira at rsequeira@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4599. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter @bronxtimes and Facebook @bronxtimes.
