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Mayor de Blasio Releases New Renderings of State-of-the-Art Boats for Citywide Ferry Service

June 16, 2016

First citywide ferry system in over 100 years will connect more than half a million New Yorkers with 21 neighborhoods for price of a single subway ride

Citywide Ferry will create 155 good local jobs, homeport at Brooklyn Navy Yard

NEW YORK — Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer, and Hornblower, the operator of Citywide Ferry, released new renderings of the brand new Citywide Ferry vessels that will be hitting New York’s waterways when service launches in 2017.

“The greatest city in the world deserves the greatest ferry system in the world. That’s exactly what New Yorkers are getting with these modern, efficient boats that come with Wi-Fi, charging stations, and plenty of space to move around comfortably. Most importantly, when we launch Citywide Ferry next summer we will be connecting New Yorkers in transit-starved neighborhoods with good jobs and opportunities all over the city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The renderings display the features that will make Citywide Ferry a pleasure to ride, whether traveling for work or for recreation. Among the more exciting features are charging stations, concessions, Wi-Fi, space for bicycles and more.

Nineteen vessels will be operating at 21 landings across New York City, providing a new and easy transport option for those in underserved communities and connecting people with the city’s hundreds of miles of waterfront.

The renderings are available for download on the Citywide Ferry website www.citywideferry.nyc and via Dropbox.

Some of the specs and features for each vessel include:

  • Capacity for 149 passengers along with space for bikes, strollers and wheelchairs.
  • ADA accessibility and compliance.
  • Boats are 26 meters vs. the standard 22 meters, offering passengers more space.
  • Ferries primarily being built out of aluminum, which is light weight and increases fuel efficiency. The fleet of 19 vessels will be built with the equivalent of over 77 million cans of aluminum.
  • Use of T3 Engines to reduce emissions and noise.
  • Innovative hull design to limit wake and maximize fuel efficiency.
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout the vessel.
  • Heated decks that increase each vessel’s resiliency and durability, especially during the cold, snowy winter months.

NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer said, “We’re excited to give New Yorkers a sneak peek at the brand new, state-of-the-art boats that will soon be connecting 21 landings around the five boroughs. Citywide Ferry Service is going to be a game changer, helping millions of New Yorkers access quality jobs and recreation along our city’s waterfront.”

Cameron Clark, VP and GM of Hornblower said, “Hornblower is working with leading designers and maritime experts to deliver a 21st century ferry product to New York Harbor that will make working, living and playing along the waterfront that much easier. The overall concept of these new vessels reflects our desire to deliver a system that builds on our strong record of environmental efficiency, sustainability and resiliency.”

Pegged to the price of a Metro Card, and launching at $2.75 per trip, Citywide Ferry will carry an estimated 4.6 million trips per year across six routes, providing new transportation options to communities where housing and jobs are growing rapidly. The East River Ferry will also be fully integrated into Citywide Ferry, which will bring the cost of that service down from $4 to $2.75. Phase one of Citywide Ferry is scheduled to launch in summer 2017.

In addition, five lucky New Yorkers who take a two-minute survey about Citywide Ferry through the website will automatically be entered to win one of five annual Citywide Ferry passes once service commences next year. Winners of the annual passes will be announced as Citywide Ferry gets closer to launch with one entry per person. For more information on Citywide Ferry, please visit www.CitywideFerry.NYC.

"The addition of citywide ferry service will give locals and visitors more reasons to explore the City's vibrant and multicultural neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs. We welcome the new service and look forward to providing our visitors even better access to all of the excitement New York City has to offer," said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, the city's official destination marketing organization.

"Ferries have been an underused part of our transit system for nearly a century. Having new ferries to support the mayor’s water transport plan will go a long way toward correcting that imbalance," said Sam Schwartz, president and CEO of Sam Schwartz Engineering and former DOT commissioner.

"These new state of the art vessels will reduce wakes, minimize emissions and most importantly provide safe, quick and affordable transit to transit starved waterfront neighborhoods," said Roland Lewis, President and CEO of the Waterfront Alliance. "This is another important step toward opening up the five borough blue highway with citywide ferry service.

Council Member Vincent Gentile said "For the cost of a single ride MetroCard swipe, New Yorkers will have the option to travel on cutting-edge and ultra-modern ferry vessels, connecting them to the five boroughs on our magnificent waterfront. In addition, the Citywide Ferry Service will create jobs locally in Brooklyn and will naturally amplify and generate commerce in communities where landings will be present. I look forward to the initial launch next summer."

“A more connected New York City waterfront, especially in traditionally undeserved areas, means more options to get to and from where people live and work. I look forward to this initiative making the .City more accessible to all New Yorkers,” said Council Member Stephen Levin.

"The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, New York City's only maritime high school, is thrilled to work with the city and Hornblower on the development of city-wide ferry service. We have hoped and planned for this for over a decade. Not only are we excited to have the city, including our home on Governors Island, more connected than ever by ferries, our Career and Technical Education programs are currently training young New Yorkers to be able to drive, maintain and service these vessels," said Murray Fisher, co-Founder, UA New York Harbor School.

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