Transportation
All Aboard
www.qns.com I LIC COURIER I AUGUST 2017 19
BY ANGELA MATUA
AMATUA@QNS.COM
The new NYC Ferry stop in Astoria
will officially begin service on Tuesday,
Aug. 29.
Mayor Bill de Blasio visited Long Is-land
City this morning to announce the
new route, which will stop at Roosevelt
Island, Long Island City, 34th Street
and Wall Street. The landing is located
at Vernon Boulevard and 30th Road.
The mayor also announced that
the service, which launched on May
1, reached 1 million riders today though
it was projected to hit that ridership
on Aug. 23.
More than 625,000 riders have
used the East River route, 221,000
have used the Rockaway Route, and
154,000 riders have utilized the South
Brooklyn Route. Weekday ridership
across the three routes ranges from
8,000 to 12,000 riders.
“It’s been less than three months
and NYC Ferry has already served 1
million riders,” he said. “As we prepare
to launch the Astoria route, we continue
to add capacity to this brand-new and
wildly popular system – one that con-nects
transit-starved neighborhoods
and commuters to jobs and the wider
city.”
The distance between Hallets Cove
and Manhattan is only 1,500 feet, but
for many residents who live along the
water, the commute to the city takes
up to an hour and a half.
“The ferry will help western As-toria,
where residents have to en-dure
long subway rides, stay better
connected with our city and help
revitalize Hallets Peninsula,” said
Councilman Costa Constantinides.
“Expanding public transit options
will move us closer towards our goal
of reducing carbon emissions 80
percent by 2050 and ensure that
our city remains a global leader on
the environment.”
The final two routes, Lower East
Side and Soundview, will launch next
year and the service will cover more
than 60 miles of waterway.
Photo by Edwin J. Torres / Mayoral Photo Office
Expanding public transit
options will move us closer
towards our goal of reducing
carbon emissions 80 percent
by 2050 and ensure that our
city remains a global leader
on the environment.
COSTA CONSTANTINIDES
Councilman
