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Weigh in on Rockaway's Ferry Shuttle Bus at City's Public Planning Meeting

By Katie Honan | January 20, 2016 9:32am
 The city is hosting a public planning meeting to discuss the shuttle bus service to the revamped Rockaway ferry, set to start in 2017.
The city is hosting a public planning meeting to discuss the shuttle bus service to the revamped Rockaway ferry, set to start in 2017.
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Laura Deckelman

ROCKAWAY BEACH — A shuttle bus being proposed to take riders to a commuter ferry from the Rockaways will be discussed at a meeting hosted by the city.

The Economic Development Corporation is hosting its first "interactive" planning meeting for the shuttle bus route this Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

The event will be held at the Beach Channel High School Campus, at 100-00 Beach Channel Drive.

As part of the citywide ferry service — which officials said should begin summer 2017 — the EDC will provide a free bus to connect the eastern portion of the Rockaway peninsula to the dock.

The city also has money dating back to former Congressman Anthony Weiner to add a second ferry dock, although it can't be further east than Beach 84th Street, officials said.

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Local officials and residents have complained that the bus to the Rockaway ferry, which will dock at Beach 108th Street, shuts out the densest portion of the peninsula on the eastern end.

The ferry can't go past the A train bridge due to height restrictions. And while the shuttle bus is meant to bring more riders to it, it's only planned to stop at Beach 67th Street. 

Officials with the EDC said if the bus went any further east, it would take too long and riders would miss the boat. 

Thursday's meeting is just the first to help future riders brainstorm a route, officials said. 

"We will continue to work with the community and elected officials to collaborate as we plan the shuttle bus," a spokesman said.  

RSVP for the meeting at the EDC's event listing.