By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — East Siders piling into overcrowded subway lines and reeling from the loss of several bus lines will soon have access to a year-round, all-day ferry service.
City Council was poised to unveil a new plan to operate a regular waterfront ferry at East 34th Street and Pier 11 in Wall Street Wednesday, the New York Times reported.
New York Water Taxi currently runs a rush-hour ferry for the East Side but the new plan would have boats running from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, the Times reported.
Shuttles would arrive every 20 minutes during rush hours and every half-hour at non-peak times, according to the Times.
Lawmakers hope that regular ferry service can compensate for the lack of subway and bus access waterfront residents deal with.
"It's an opportunity for anybody who lives in the area on an overcrowded bus, or an overcrowded subway line," City Council Speaker Christine Quinn told the paper.
"It isn't just for waterfront dwellers, it's for people in a radius around the waterfront," Quinn said.
The ferry, which would also have stops in Queens and Brooklyn, would cost either $3 or $5.50 depending on where passengers board on the route, the Times reported.
Officials had already pledged $9 million to the project and to keep the program in service for at least three years, the paper reported.
Waterfront advocates began the process of developing a comprehensive East River "Blueway" plan, that would link the East Side waterfront through a series of pools, parks and promenades, last summer.
