One year ago today, NYC Ferry service launched with two routes: the Rockaway and East River routes. You’ve likely heard about the great success of the service: higher demand than predicted, ordering more and bigger boats, and millions of riders enjoying a new commute and a new way to explore their city. For the past year, we’ve been hearing from New Yorkers who have made the NYC Ferry service a part of their lives. We’ve spoken with riders in transit deserts whose commute times are reduced significantly, and many more who tell us about the quality of life improvement they’ve experienced from being out on the water. We’ve met different business owners and community organizations who rely on NYC Ferry as a way for their customers and community members to get to them, as well as a tool for New Yorkers to explore new neighborhoods. And as our service grows, so does the opportunity for maritime careers. We think we have the best team in New York and are looking forward to growing our team even more this summer.
It’s been a very exciting year for NYC Ferry and there’s much more to come! Here’s a recap of some of our biggest accomplishments to-date.
We Built 19 Boats!
In 2016, NYC Ferry had 19 vessels built in just 11 months. Through a contest between the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Department of Education, all of our brand-new boats were named by the City ’s second-graders. We welcomed Lunchbox, Waves of Wonder, Urban Journey and many other creatively-named vessels to our fleet!
We Launched Four Routes & Saw Millions of Riders
On May 1, 2017, the East River and Rockaway routes launched.
On June 1, 2017, the South Brooklyn route launched, serving the communities of Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook, and Brooklyn Bridge Park.
On August 29, 2017, the Astoria route launched, connecting Wall Street/Pier 11, East 34th Street, Long Island City, Roosevelt Island, and Astoria.
Even in the busiest of months, customer sentiment has been high. In a survey conducted by the NYCEDC in August 2017, 93% of riders gave NYC Ferry a customer satisfaction rating of seven or higher on a ten-point scale, with 66% giving the highest possible score.
The 1-Million Milestone
86 days after the service launched, NYC Ferry carried its 1 millionth rider. We celebrated our Millionth Rider Day on July 26 with half-priced cold brews all day and an onboard Instagram promotion. A mayoral press conference was held at the Hunter’s Point South Landing. There, Mayor de Blasio celebrated the momentous milestone with other leaders, such as Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, community board leaders, and more.
Our Team is the Best Team
We currently have 260 employees working in various fields, from front line crew as deckhands, concessions agents, captains, and more, as well as more behind the scenes positions vital to our success in the engineering, dispatch, customer service, and accounting departments. We’re looking to hire at least 100 more employees before the end of the summer! Interested in working with us? You can check out all of our available jobs at ferry.nyc/careers.
How We Give Back
To date, NYC Ferry has partnered with over 100 civic groups, businesses, and community organizations throughout New York City. Our All Hands on Deck employee volunteer program brought our crew out to volunteer with the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, the Astoria Park Alliance, and The Peaceful Gardeners to clean up, plant and beautify the neighborhoods near our landings. From sponsoring block parties and taking youth to Yankees games to highlighting local leaders with our “Community Connect” blog series, NYC Ferry is dedicated to being a part of every community we serve.
We’re Not Done Yet – Two More Routes Coming This Summer!
NYC Ferry will launch the Lower East Side and Soundview routes later this summer.
The Lower East Side route will stop at Long Island City, East 34th Street, Stuyvesant Cove, Corlears Hook, and Wall Street/Pier 11.
The Soundview route will stop at Soundview, East 90th Street, East 34th Street, and Wall Street/Pier 11.
Together, the routes are expected to serve approximately 1.5M riders this summer.
Today, with one year of service under our belts and four routes connecting over three million riders, we celebrate the successes of the past year while we look forward to the many milestones to come. We would not have been able to get where we are today without your support. Thank you for riding with NYC Ferry. See you on the water soon!