Bronx commuters say NYC Ferry serves all New Yorkers
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Bronx commuters who
are benefi tting from the New
York City ferry system, say
it’s an easily accessible mode
of transportation, totally disagreeing
with a brash statement
that appeared in City &
State, a weekly political magazine,
that claimed it only
serves a white affl uent demographic.
Survey results released
Tuesday, October 1 from the
NYC Economic Development
Corporation—which manages
the ferry network—show that
64 percent of the ferry riders
surveyed in May and June
identifi ed as white, while the
remaining 36 percent were
people of color.
A majority of the riders (80
percent) live near the water or
in walking distance of a landing,
the report said.
The fi gures, from EDC’s
fourth survey, also revealed
ferry riders’ annual median
income fell between $75,000
and $99,999, slightly higher
than the $73,000 median of the
system’s service area. Only
36 percent of riders earn less
than $75,000 a year, the survey
found.
Launched in May 2017 by
Mayor de Blasio, the city ferry
network now consists of six
routes plus the Governors Island
Shuttle, serving as a new
transportation option for underserved
transit neighborhoods,
keeping the fare at
$2.75 for a one-way ticket—the
same fare for bus and subway
commuters.
The Soundview ferry
route—launched August
2018—connects Clason Point
Park to Wall Street/Pier 11,
making stops at East 90th
Street and East 34th Street
along its route.
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According to the survey,
during the a.m. and p.m. peak
hours, 75 percent of riders use
the ferry to commute to work
or school, while 80 percent of
riders (non-work) use the service
on the weekends.
“I see everybody taking
the ferry. I think it’s just more
convenient where the ports
are and it’s the same fare as
the subway,” a Castle Hill commuter
said.
Another commuter said,
“I believe (the ferry is) servicing
everyone and this is
a great thing for Bronx residents.”
Based on the demographic
surveys, Soundview ferry riders
are predominantly Hispanic/
Latino, followed by
white and black commuters,
according to the survey.
“I’m not actually surprised
by the report but I always see
a very diverse crowd (using)
Soundview,” said City Island
resident Jessica Sinclair, who
teaches at a public middle
school in the Wall Street area.
Sinclair, who takes the
ferry service daily, says she
isn’t surprised by the EDC
survey given the fact that the
ferries run along waterfront
neighborhoods. However, she
says, at Soundview, specifi -
cally, it’s a good starting point
helping those commuters in
areas described as a “metro
desert.”
Meanwhile, a new landing
will be added at Ferry Point
Park by 2021, providing the
Bronx with a second location.
Additionally, last year,
based on feedback received,
EDC worked with the MTA to
expand Bx27 bus service to the
Soundview landing.
When the new routes are
launched in Ferry Point Park,
Coney Island and St. George
the subsidy to run the system
will stabilize between $7 and
$8 per rider.
“The subsidy for the service
continues to drop; in FY18, it
was $10.72. In FY19, the subsidy
was $9.34. This is a reduction
by almost 13 percent,” an
EDC spokesman said.
Evening commuters exiting the Bronx Soundview ferry route that connects Clason Point Park to Wall Street/
Pier 11, making stops at East 90th Street and East 34th Street along its route. Carlotta Mohamed