Daily Year-Round NYC Ferry Service to Governors Island to Begin on January 24th
New York – New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Trust For Governors Island have announced that new, daily, year-round NYC Ferry service to and from Governors Island will begin Monday, January 24, 2022. NYC Ferry will serve Governors Island’s Yankee Pier via the South Brooklyn Route, adding a stop between Red Hook and Sunset Park, directly connecting New Yorkers to the island from the Lower East Side and the Brooklyn waterfront. The service will significantly expand access to Governors Island for visitors and a growing number of tenants.
“I am thrilled that New Yorkers will finally be able to take NYC Ferry to the gem that is Governors Island – every day, all year round,” said Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development. “I applaud NYCEDC and the Trust for Governors Island for their work to make this incredible asset more accessible, and I look forward to even more people experiencing and enjoying all Governors Island has to offer.”
“We’re proud to deliver on the promise of daily, year-round ferry service to Governors Island as part of our continuing expansion of NYC Ferry’s five-borough network, which has become an integral part of New York’s transportation system and the City’s recovery,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “We join Mayor Adams in congratulating the Trust for Governors Island and all of our partners who have worked so hard to turn this vision into reality.”
“This past year, we made historic progress in announcing that New Yorkers will now be able to enjoy all that Governors Island has to offer, 365 days per year, and we’re thrilled that we’ll now have expanded connections to Brooklyn and Manhattan through NYC Ferry,” said Clare Newman, President and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island. “Expanded ferry service will connect more New Yorkers than ever to Governors Island’s open space, cultural, educational, and historic resources while increasing access for our growing community of tenants. We thank our partners at the Mayor’s office and NYCEDC for making this a reality.”
The new Governors Island service is part of an ongoing NYC Ferry expansion that in the past year has added the St. George route connecting Staten Island to Manhattan’s West Side, and the extension of the Soundview route with a new landing in Ferry Point Park in Throgs Neck in the Bronx. NYCEDC also plans to launch service on a new Coney Island Route by late 2022.
In September 2021, The Trust and the City announced that Governors Island would be open to the public year-round for the first time in history. This new daily, year-round service will accommodate Governors Island’s winter hours from 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. For NYC Ferry service schedules, visit ferry.nyc. For general Governors Island visitor information, and for a full list of ferry service options, visit govisland.org.
NYC Ferry service to Governors Island on the South Brooklyn route will operate weekdays and non-summer weekends and supplement daily ferries from Lower Manhattan operated by the Trust. On summer weekends during the highest ridership season, NYC Ferry will continue to operate its dedicated shuttle from Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan and the Trust will continue to run its shuttle from Brooklyn Bridge Park-Pier 6 and Red Hook. When NYC Ferry’s Coney Island route launches in late 2022, the South Brooklyn route will terminate at Governors Island. Bay Ridge will become part of the new Coney Island Route to provide direct faster access to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan and Sunset Park will continue to have express service to Pier 11 on the Rockaway route.
Governors Island has undergone a tremendous transformation over the last decade, including the creation of a resilient 43-acre park, a growing arts and cultural program, and remarkable growth in audience. In 2019, nearly one million people visited the Island. The Island is home to a diverse number of year-round tenants, including the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Billion Oyster Project, Shandaken Projects, Beam Center, and the Institute for Public Architecture, as well as the soon to open QC NY Spa and Buttermilk Labs — a new multi-tenant hub for coastal climate solutions announced in Fall, 2021. In June 2021, the Trust announced a competition to attract an anchor educational and research institution for its plans to develop a Center for Climate Solutions.
“This is a great day for New Yorkers, 20 years after fighting to return Governors Island to New York, year round ferry service and 7 day access to Governors Island is finally here,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler. “The island is one of the city’s hidden gems and now residents and tourists alike will have an opportunity to explore and visit this wonderful place every day.”
“Over the past two years we have learned just how important the accessibility of our city’s open public spaces are to the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “Opening daily ferry service year-round to Governors Island will unlock one of New York’s great centers of open space and is another giant step for increased inclusion to all our city’s wonderful parks. I thank the Trust for Governors Island, the Mayor’s office, and NYCEDC for their tremendous work in making this long-standing plan a reality and encourage all New Yorkers to discover all Governors Island has to offer even in the colder months.”
Source: John DeSio, Risa Heller Communications