De Blasio Announces Plan for Fast Ferries With a More Manageable Price Tag

Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed five new fast-ferry lines to connect outer-boroughs to Manhattan today at the cost of a subway ride—an effort his office said would cost the city $10 to $20 million annually in subsidies.

“Today, we announce that we’re launching a new citywide ferry service to be open for business in 2017. New ferry rides will be priced the same as a MetroCard fare, so ferries will be as affordable to everyday New Yorkers as our subways and buses,” Mr. de Blasio said in his State of the City speech at Baruch College today.

The infrastructure—docks and landings—will cost roughly $55 million for the planned routes. It would cost the city between $10 million and $20 million annually to subsidize the service for 4.6 million riders, which would actually be run by private operators, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen told reporters.

Several of the routes proposed today, particularly from South Brooklyn or the Rockaways, are longer in distance than the East River or Jersey City routes—and would cost more to operate. But they’ll cost less to ride—$2.75 a trip at the current cost of a MetroCard.

“To the extent that the system needs to be subsidized, it will be subsidized by the city itself. We could of course get sponsorship, like any other transit system,” Ms. Glen said.

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