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NYC Ferry Seeks Approval to Build More Docks in Manhattan and The Bronx

By Katie Honan | August 11, 2017 3:48pm | Updated on August 14, 2017 6:58am
 The plan includes the construction of a concrete pier in Clason Point for the South Bronx ferry service.
The plan includes the construction of a concrete pier in Clason Point for the South Bronx ferry service.
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DNAinfo/Katie Honan

​NEW YORK CITY — ​The city is moving ahead with plans to launch two more NYC Ferry routes next summer along the Lower East Side and The Bronx, and is seeking approval from the Army Corps of Engineers to build new docks.

The future Soundview route will start at Clason Point in The Bronx and make one stop at East 90th Street on the Upper East Side before ending at Wall Street. The Lower East Side route will connect Long Island City, East 34th Street, Stuyvesant Town, Corlears Hook and Wall Street.

The city's notice, posted Aug. 3, is seeking public comments on the dock construction — which includes a nearly 58-foot long concrete pier at the South Bronx landing. The application submitted by the Economic Development Corporation also includes building a new homeport for the ferry service at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

The second phase of NYC Ferry builds upon the current service that was launched in May, which has so far carried more than a million riders to docks in locations that include Wall Street, Rockaway, Bay Ridge and Sunset Park. It also took over the existing East River Ferry route, and plans to launch an Astoria line on Aug. 29.

Rides cost $2.75 and include a free transfer to other NYC ferries, though there is no free transfer to MTA subways or buses.

The Army Corps is soliciting comments and suggestions on the proposed new dock locations from the public and other interested organizations, which will be used to "issue, modify, condition or deny a permit" for the application. 

SEE THE PROPOSAL FOR NEW FERRY DOCKS

Riders from the South Bronx dock will board boats at the foot of Soundview Avenue and the East River in Clason Point — where the EDC plans to build a 20-foot-wide and 57.5-foot-long concrete pier and a 10-foot-wide by 80-foot-long gangway.

The structures will extend 258 linear feet into the water, the application says. 

The Upper East Side dock will be at the foot of East 90th Street and the East River, according to the application. In Stuyvesant Town, the dock will be in Stuyvesant Cove Park, at the end of East 20th Street and the East River.

The Lower East Side dock will be at the end of Grand Street inside Corlears Hook Park, the application says.

Officials are also seeking approval to build a barge for boats at its future Brooklyn Navy Yard homeport. 

While the second phase of the ferry service expands it into a fourth borough, some residents and officials hope the service will be expanded even further, pushing for stops in places like Coney Island, Canarsie and the south shore of Staten Island. 

READ MORE: When Big Orange Boats Aren't Enough: Staten Islanders Want More Ferries