NY To Get Bigger East River Ferries for Weekend Travel

East River ferry (photo by synergii1 via Flickr)

New York's East River ferry service boats will more than double in size on weekends, to accommodate 399 passengers as opposed to the current 149.   The bigger boats will operate on summer weekends.

The boats will operate every 45 minutes from 9:35 am until 9:30 am on the weekends, making stops in Governor's Island.

On weekdays, the vessels will operate from 6:45 AM until 8:45 PM. in both directions. During morning and evening peak hours, there will be three boats running every twenty minutes. During weekday off-peak hours, there will be two boats running on a thirty-minute schedule.

According to the city, "Ferry service was launched on June 13, 2011, as part of a 3-year pilot program to provide year-round ferry service between East 34th Street and Pier 11 in Manhattan, Long Island City in Queens, Greenpoint, North Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, and DUMBO in Brooklyn, and seasonally to Governor’s Island."

"The service costs riders $4 for a one-way ticket, $12 for an unlimited all-day pass, and $140 for an unlimited monthly pass. Ferries accommodate bikes on board for an additional dollar. Ticketing machines are available at all commuter locations along with staffed ticket agents at some stops."