www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY October 20, 2019 12
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.
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
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