Addabbo wants NYC Ferry to phase in free transfers to and from MTA buses and trains

As the NYC Ferry system continues to grow in popularity by providing thousands of people in Queens a quick ride into Brooklyn and Manhattan each day, New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. is advocating for making the service even better for passengers.

As the state legislative session starts, Addabbo wants to begin the comprehensive discussion to have the ferry system provide free transfers for riders that can be used on all MTA buses and trains. Right now, passengers have to pay a $2.75 fare for a one-way ticket on the NYC Ferry, and additional $2.75 for any MTA bus or train they wish to use.

By providing a free transfer between the two modes of transportation, Addabbo hopes to streamline the travel process for the thousands of people who use the NYC Ferry.

“As the MTA continues to work on the next generation of the MetroCard, I ask that they take into consideration the growing number of people who use the NYC Ferry,” Addabbo said. “With the number of passengers on the NYC Ferry likely to increase in the coming years, it would be a major benefit for the riders if they could continue their route by using a free transfer onto an MTA-operated bus or train. Joining these parts of our city’s public transportation system will help everyone travel faster.”

Additionally, Addabbo intends to contact the NYC EDC about possibly expanding its ferry bus service to the residents in Broad Channel and Howard Beach.

“Currently, residents of Broad Channel who drive and park their cars before boarding the NYC Ferry in the Rockaways can do it for free, while residents of Howard Beach who wish to do the same are inundated with the toll for crossing the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge,” Addabbo said. “That just adds an additional fare for those people, which isn’t fair. That is why I would like to see the buses that bring people into the Rockaways to get the ferry expanded to Broad Channel and Howard beach. This would provide these residents with an alternate way of getting to the ferry, and if the MTA transfer plan moves forward it would be a free transfer from that bus onto the ferry.”