Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release #20-014
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Contact: (212) 839-4850
NYC DOT Announces Reduced Staten Island Ferry Service
With large declines in ridership during March, DOT will move to hourly service – and will monitor ridership and reevaluate on a weekly basis
The New York City Department of Transportation today announced that the Staten Island Ferry will move to a further reduced schedule to better protect its workforce and passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning Sunday, March 29 at midnight, ferries will depart hourly until further notice. Departures will occur on the hour from St. George Terminal on Staten Island and on the half-hour from Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan.
The Staten Island Ferry has seen dramatic decline in ridership resulting from the COVID- 19 pandemic. Ridership now stands at approximately 15% of pre COVID-19 levels. (Daily ridership has gone from a March daily average of 75,000 riders to just 11,000 last week.). As more and more New Yorkers heed directives to avoid travel for non-essential purposes, NYC DOT expects ferry ridership to continue to decline.
And the Staten Island Ferry has seen four employees test positive for COVID-19 and nearly half of scheduled employees have called out sick from their shifts at some point in the last several weeks. NYC DOT has been working closely with the Ferry’s two major maritime unions, the Marine Engineers’ Benefit Association (MEBA) and the International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots (MMP), on these schedule changes and ensuring the safety of the ferry workforce. Both organizations expressed a shared desire to reduce the workload and potential exposure for their members.
These service reductions will also allow for Ferry personnel to more frequently sanitize the vessels. Riders should monitor the City’s daily updates and DOT’s social media channels for any updated information on the Staten Island Ferry schedule.
“We know how much Staten Islanders rely on the ferry, but during this COVID-19 pandemic, this hourly schedule will reduce the demands on our workforce and give our staff more time to thoroughly clean and sanitize the vessels and terminals,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “I want to thank Staten Islanders for their understanding during this crisis and thank the dedicated Ferries staff who are out on the front lines serving the public every day.”
“Our top priority at the Staten Island Ferry is always safety — of the traveling public and our own workforce,” said Captain Jim DeSimone, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer for the Staten Island Ferry. “We thank our loyal riders for their patience during this challenging time, and thank the hard-working team at the Staten Island Ferry. All of us look forward to the day when normal operations can safely resume.”
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