East River ferry service to set sail in June

New York Waterway will start a new ferry service along the East River at some point next month, according to the Brooklyn Paper, although the company wouldn’t provide an exact starting date. The ferry will connect Greenpoint, Williamsburg and DUMBO to Long Island City, Lower Manhattan and Midtown every 20 minutes on weekdays, and will make extra stops at Atlantic Avenue and Governors Island on weekends (a far cry from the failed New York Water Taxi that made just a handful of trips a day). The new project will be funded by a three-year, $9.3 million subsidy from the city, and its sustainability will depend on ridership. The Paper cites a city study from earlier this year that estimated 718,000 riders would need to use the $4 service during that time to meet costs. The new service is part of Mayor Bloomberg’s $3 billion waterfront development plan, introduced in March. NY Water Taxi also bid for the use of the $9.3 million subsidy, but lost out to BillyBey Ferry Company LLC, which operates under NY Waterway. Last month, the city shut down the popular Water Taxi Beach on Long Island City to make room for Hunters Point South complex. [Brooklyn Paper]