Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Temporary Great Kills Ferry Service to Manhattan Ends Friday

By Nicholas Rizzi | January 21, 2013 12:26pm
 The temporary ferry service from Great Kills to Manhattan, ran by New York Water Taxi, started to shorten commutes lengthened by Hurricane Sandy will end Friday, Jan. 25, 2013.
The temporary ferry service from Great Kills to Manhattan, ran by New York Water Taxi, started to shorten commutes lengthened by Hurricane Sandy will end Friday, Jan. 25, 2013.
View Full Caption
Facebook/New York Water Taxi

GREAT KILLS — A ferry service set up to transport commuters from Great Kills to Manhattan after Superstorm Sandy will end on Friday.

The service, which shuttled passengers from Great Kills Park to Pier 11 at Wall Street and East 35th Street in Midtown, was introduced in November after the storm damaged existing transportation.

The ferry, operated by New York Water Taxi, had around 114 riders daily and made six trips to and six trips from Manhattan during rush hours, the DOT said. It cost $2 per trip.

It's ending partly because of low ridership numbers, Borough President James Molinaro said in a statement.

“It is obvious that low ridership doesn’t warrant the continuation of this service,” Molinaro said. “Both Councilman [Vincent] Ignizio and I will be exploring options for a permanent fast ferry service in the future.”

Before the storm, Staten Island had the longest average commute time in the country, at 42.5 minutes, the New York Post reported.

The storm increased the commute times for Staten Islanders after it slowed service on the Staten Island Railway and damaged residents' cars.