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Governors Island Added to South Brooklyn Ferry Route for Weekends

By Amy Langfield | April 18, 2017 11:49am | Updated on April 18, 2017 12:32pm
 The 'Lunch Box' rides into Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park as it takes its inaugural ride on April 17, 2017.
The 'Lunch Box' rides into Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park as it takes its inaugural ride on April 17, 2017.
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DNAinfo/Katie Honan

BROOKLYN — Red Hook residents will finally get the six-minute ferry ride they've been requesting for years starting this June.

On weekends, the South Brooklyn route of the new NYC Ferry will make a loop from Red Hook's Atlantic Basin to Governors Island, according to officials.

Long considered a possibility, the Governors Island leg of the ferry's weekend trips wasn't officially confirmed until the city announced it Monday morning during the christening ceremony for the first boat, named the "Lunch Box."

The South Brooklyn route is scheduled to start June 1 with regular weekday service starting at 6:30 a.m. in Bay Ridge. That boat will pick up passengers in Sunset Park at 6:37 a.m., Red Hook at 6:52 a.m., Pier 6/Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Bridge Park at 7:02 a.m., DUMBO's Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park at 7:10 a.m. and Wall Street's Pier 11 at 7:13 a.m.  The ferry will depart every 30 minutes through the morning rush, with the final boat pushing off from Bay Ridge at 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, according to the South Brooklyn route's online schedule.

On weekends, when a boat docks at Red Hook, it will make a loop to and from Governors Island, which is located directly across the Buttermilk Channel from the Atlantic Basin dock. The online schedule currently incorrectly shows the Governors Island loop as available only to boats coming from Red Hook, NYC Ferry's director of community relations and rider services, Franny Civitano, told DNAinfo New York. The site will be updated to indicate that all South Brooklyn weekend boats will stop there from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., when Governors Island accepts arrivals, she said.

NYC Ferry service will not be interrupted when cruise ships are docked at the adjacent Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal, Civitano said. The Queen Mary 2 and other big ships dock there during the year.

PHOTOS: See Inside First NYC Ferry With Bike Racks, Charging Ports and Bar

The NYC Ferry will dock at Pier 102 on the eastern side of Governors Island’s Historic District without interrupting service provided by NYC Ferry's East River route, currently known as the East River Ferry, and Governors Island's regular ferries from Lower Manhattan.

The new direct service to Red Hook is anticipated to bring an extra 34,000 visitors to Governors Island this season, Sarah Krautheim, a spokeswoman for The Trust for Governors Island, told DNAinfo.

Last year, the island saw a record 600,000 visitors during its summer season.

While the ferry will only make trips to the island during its public season, which starts May 1 this year, the goal remains to keep the island open year round, Krautheim said.

"We hope to be open 365-days as soon as possible," she said.

Red Hook residents were first learning of the ferry's new Governors Island connection Monday.

"Great to see more communities with a ferry connection to the gem of Governors Island! It’s happy news for Brooklyn Community Board 6 and Red Hook, which clamored for years for such a ferry," said Carolina Salguero, the founder and president of PortSide NewYork, which is housed on a historic tanker located next to the future NYC Ferry dock at the Atlantic Basin.

One-way fares for NYC Ferry will be $2.75 but will not offer free transfers to MTA buses or subways.

► READ MORE: Citywide Ferry Plan Will Not Integrate With MTA’s MetroCard for Transfers

(Editor's Note: Due to incorrect informational provided by The Trust for Governors Island, this story was updated to correct the number of new visitors expected at the island this year.)