New York City East River Ferry Service Starting in June, But Not For Roosevelt Island - So Close Yet So Far

Image Of Ferry Route From NY Times

So close yet so far. Take a look at the East River Ferry Map above and try to figure out what is missing. Got it yet? That's right, no Roosevelt Island on the East River Ferry Service Map which terminates just south of us in Long Island City.

The Brooklyn Paper reported yesterday:

... Sometime pretty much around mid-June (probably!), New York Waterway will launch service connecting Greenpoint, Williamsburg and DUMBO to Lower Manhattan and Midtown every 20 minutes for $4 a ride.

The city-subsidized service amounts to the latest riverboat gamble for an administration that has seen earlier service sink. Even with a three-year, $9.3-million subsidy — up from zero for a prior operator — it is unclear if enough paying customers will keep this boat afloat.

“It’s going to take time to build traffic,” said New York Waterway CEO Paul Goodman. “Right now, it is all a question of frequency — and 20-minute frequency is what you need so that people don’t think of it as appointment ridership.”...

Curbed adds:

...The two deck, 74-foot ferries that can hold up to 100 people are going to be running on a commuter's schedule, operating from 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. every twenty minutes (weekend service is 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with additional stops at Atlantic Avenue and Governors Island). The main challenge is going to be getting people to fork over the $4 per ride or the $140 for a monthly pass. And to stay afloat, the ferry is going to have to draw in about 718,000 commuters every year, but it's slightly bolstered by the city subsidy of $9.3 million over three years....

From DNA Info:

 ... The new East River ferry service will only be viable with subsidies, the EDC report pointed out.

The agency anticipated the ferry service will break even if it has an annual ridership of 467,000 with an annual subsidy of $4.3 million. That would translate to a break of $9.30 per ride for an average fare of $5.

The city, however, is only contributing $3 million.

Subsidizing transit is not uncommon: The Long Island Rail Road has a subsidy of roughly $6 per passenger and the New York City Transit Express bus system's subsidy is roughly $12 per rider.

A ferry route along the east side of Manhattan that stops stopping along the Upper East Side at East 90th and East 71st streets, Roosevelt Island, East 34th and East 23th streets and Pier 11, would need a subsidy of $9.15 per ride, the EDC study said....

I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Director Jonathan Kalkin what's the latest on Roosevelt Island ferry service. Mr. Kalkin replied:

I've been working for months now to get Roosevelt Island ferry service. Several months back we approved an assessment of the oil dock for ferry service behind the tram so that is almost completed. In addition, I have been talking to several vendors about a Roosvevelt Island ferry service.

I am also looking into and working with green companies like Solar Sailor that can retrofit their ferry with hybrid and solar technology. However all of this takes time for certification. I think we are very far ahead and there is a great opportunity to have a green and accessible form of transport on the Island, but it is still a work in progresss. I'm working hard to make it a reality.

RIOC Officials Waving Goodbye To Roosevelt Island Temporary Ferry Service in November 2009

More on Roosevelt Island ferry service from previous posts.

Here is a very exhaustive Comprehensive City Wide Ferry Service Survey from the New York City Economic Development Corporation including a site analysis for Roosevelt Island Ferry service at pages 246- 253.