NYC Ferry, a subsidized waterway transportation system in the city, saw a major increase in ridership throughout its six routes last week.
According to the Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), which manages the system, NYC Ferry celebrated its second-highest ridership week from April 14 to 20, carrying 224,000 passengers through New York Harbor. This period trailed only the week of July 4, 2024.
NYC EDC officials said warm weather and a Passover schedule that was in effect, with more service from April 15-18, contributed to the increased ridership, with many people choosing to explore the city by boat, rather than land travel. The system’s East River route is always the most popular, but last week it stood out with more than 85,000 boardings—approximately 37% of the total ridership that week.
“New Yorkers are more excited to ride NYC Ferry than ever before,” a NYC EDC spokesperson said. “Thanks to warm weather during NYC Ferry’s Passover Holiday schedule, the system saw its second-best week of ridership of all time last week – a trend we expect to continue and build upon with Summer 2025 right around the corner.”
Warm and sunny weather that reached a comfortable 64 degrees led to over 46,000 passengers boarding the boats on Thursday, which the agency said was an all-time weekday ridership record.
The continued nice weather on Saturday led to over 42,000 total daily boardings, which was another particularly high ridership day for the system.
NYC Ferry, launched in 2017, has a fleet of 38 vessels and costs $4.50 for a one-way ticket. It operates separately from the NYC Department of Transportation’s Staten Island Ferry, which runs from St. George, Staten Island, to Lower Manhattan and is free to ride.
Despite being subsidized by city taxes, a single ticket for the borough-wide NYC Ferry service still increased from $4 to its current fare on Sept. 9 last year. According to NYC EDC, the ferry system has the lowest per-passenger subsidy of any publicly funded passenger-only ferry system in the United States.
However, discounts on the service are available. Seniors and people with disabilities can enroll in the NYC Ferry Discount Program to pay $1.45 per one-way ticket. High-school students can also take advantage of discounts by applying online at ferry.nyc.
Meanwhile, NYC EDC officials said they are gearing up for “another record-breaking ridership” season this summer, after reaching a ridership of 7 million in 2024.
“Whether folks are commuting to work or visiting their favorite waterfront destinations across the five boroughs, NYC Ferry is a vital part of the City’s transportation ecosystem,” the NYC EDC spokesperson said.
