RED HOOK — Red Hook’s free weekend ferry service is back for the summer, officials announced Friday.
The “Destination Red Hook” ferry will run from Pier 11 in Manhattan to Fairway Market at 480-500 Van Brunt St. and Brooklyn’s Ikea on Saturdays and Sundays.
The ferry service, which is operated by New York Water Taxi and is now in its second year, will run every 25 minutes, every weekend until Labor Day.
The first boat will depart at 11:30 a.m. from Pier 11 and the last drop-off will be at the Ikea dock at 9:05 p.m.
Officials touted the service as a resource for residents of Red Hook, which lacks its own subway stop, and as a way to increase foot traffic to the neighborhood to benefit local businesses.
“The best way to reach Red Hook is by water. This service is not only bringing needed support to the neighborhood’s local shops and restaurants, it’s reconnecting New Yorkers with the waterfront in a way that’s both fun and economical,” said Brian McCabe, COO of New York Water Taxi.
This year’s free ferry is funded by New York Water Taxi, Ikea and Fairway and is run without any public subsidies, according to a press release.
New York Water Taxi's ferry service is in addition to Ikea’s year-round express shuttle ferry, which runs every 40 minutes, seven days a week, from the Red Hook store to Pier 11. The Ikea ferry costs $5 per person on weekdays and is free on weekends.
