Roosevelt Island NYC East River Ferry Service Begins August 2017, In Water Dock Work Starts In July After Fish Breeding Moratorium Concluded Says RIOC - NYC Ferry Jobs Available

"Very smooth ride!" Testing the first @CitywideFerry boat this morning with @jbpatchett and @CamJClark. pic.twitter.com/8QoSxtW9DR

— NYCEDC (@NYCEDC) April 5, 2017

NYC Mayor  Bill de Blasio announced yesterday:

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that Citywide Ferry Service, now officially named "NYC Ferry," will be launching May 1st with two routes: the brand new Rockaway Route and the existing East River Route, both of which will cost just $2.75 a ride and include free transfers to other ferry routes. This puts NYC Ferry a full month ahead of schedule, with the system having initially been projected to launch in June of 2017.

Mayor de Blasio also announced that the South Brooklyn Route, with stops in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook and Brooklyn Bridge Park will begin service starting on June 1st. The Astoria Route will launch in August, with exact date still being determined, and the Lower East Side and Soundview Routes will be launching in 2018...

The @NYCMayorsOffice just announced: @NYCferry is now named @NYCferry and will launch on May 1 w/ Rockaway & the existing East River Routes pic.twitter.com/LerYXS1rHL

— NYC Ferry (@NYCferry) April 6, 2017

Roosevelt Island Ferry service on the Astoria Route will start sometime in August.

Today I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal for a status update on the Roosevelt Island ferry dock. Ms. Rosenthal replied

City cannot start in-water work until fish breeding moratorium is concluded (July 1); need permits from NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE); piles installation for landing takes about 6 weeks and requires coordination with New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA).

City intends to start upland work, middle of May and to launch as close to 8/1-8/15 as possible.

Image Of RI Ferry Landing From October 2016 NYC EDC Ferry Presentation To RIOC

According to Mayor de Blasio's announcement:

... Astoria route will connect to Astoria, Roosevelt Island (Cornell Tech), Long Island City, East 34th Street and Wall Street....

Images From NYC Ferry

Notice that the Roosevelt Island ferry location in Mayor de Blasio's announcement is identified to include Cornell Tech. I asked the Mayor's office:

Why is Cornell identified as the ferry location. I am not aware of any other NYC ferry location being identified with a private entity such as Cornell. Any statement from the Mayor's Office as to why the ferry location on Roosevelt Island is identified with Cornell and not just "Roosevelt Island".

Mayoral Spokesperson Jessica Ramos replied:

Currently it is referred to as Roosevelt Island—without the Cornell. It was noted as such in the press release to remind reporters that the stop will connect to new jobs at CT, as well as serving residents.

When the new map is released early next month, it will appear as “Roosevelt Island – East Main Street”. Landings will be a combination of the neighborhood where the stop is located and the nearest major street perpendicular to the shoreline.

For more info, check out videos below of the October 13, 2016 RIOC Real Estate Advisory Committee meeting presentation by NYC Economic Development Corp on Roosevelt Island Ferry Dock and Service.





NYC EDC Roosevelt Island Ferry Presentation


There may be a job for you with the NY City Wide Ferry.

Spending the weekend looking for the next step in your career? We’re hiring! https://t.co/M1Bg38Q8VJ

— Citywide Ferry (@CitywideFerry) March 5, 2017

Mayor de Blasio adds:

I want every New Yorker to know: This is still your city. That means we need to help you climb the economic ladder right here. We have set a goal of creating 100,000 good-paying jobs over the next decade. These are jobs that pay at least $50,000 a year and offer opportunity and skills for a career.

This week, I announced that our Citywide Ferry Service – which will be running this summer – is now hiring for the first of 200 new jobs created by this innovative new transportation system.

Ferries mean jobs building the system, operating the system and maintaining the boats.

Ferries mean opportunity. Folks living in areas that have long been isolated from the rest of the city’s economy will now be able to hop on a quick, convenient ferry ride to a new future for the cost of a subway fare.

Ferries mean people have a new reason to leave their cars at home, relieving road congestion, taking pressure off mass transit and making our city more convenient for all.  

Our ferries will serve 21 neighborhoods from The Rockaways in Queens, to South Brooklyn, to Soundview in the Bronx. Half a million New Yorkers will live within walking distance of a ferry stop. The system will carry an estimated 4.6 million trips per year across six routes.

We believe fundamentally that economic opportunity has not been spread wide enough in this city. We need more jobs. We need good paying jobs. We need to make sure everyone has access to them. One of the ways we will reach our goal of creating 100,000 new jobs is by looking to our waterfront.

You can apply now for careers on our ferries through the City Department of Small Business Services’ WorkForce1 Centers. For a list of locations click: https://maps.nyc.gov/sbs/. You can also apply at CitywideFerry.NYC, or through the Employment Center at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Check out the NYC Ferry web page for more info and chance to win a free pass.