NYCEDC and The Trust for Governors Island Announce Daily Year-Round NYC Ferry Service to Governors Island
Expanded Service to Support Recently Announced Year-round Public Access to Governors Island
NYC Ferry’s Growing Five-Borough System Has Served 22 Million Riders Since 2017 Launch
NEW YORK, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and The Trust for Governors Island (the Trust) have announced that new, daily, year-round NYC Ferry service to and from Governors Island will begin Monday, January 24, 2022. NYC Ferry will serve Governors Island’s Yankee Pier via the South Brooklyn Route, adding a stop between Red Hook and Sunset Park, directly connecting New Yorkers to the island from the Lower East Side and the Brooklyn waterfront. The service will significantly expand access to Governors Island for visitors and a growing number of tenants.
“I am thrilled that New Yorkers will finally be able to take NYC Ferry to the gem that is Governors Island – every day, all year round,” said Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development. “I applaud NYCEDC and the Trust for Governors Island for their work to make this incredible asset more accessible, and I look forward to even more people experiencing and enjoying all Governors Island has to offer.”
“We’re proud to deliver on the promise of daily, year-round ferry service to Governors Island as part of our continuing expansion of NYC Ferry’s five-borough network, which has become an integral part of New York’s transportation system and the City’s recovery,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “We join Mayor Adams in congratulating the Trust for Governors Island and all of our partners who have worked so hard to turn this vision into reality.”
“This past year, we made historic progress in announcing that New Yorkers will now be able to enjoy all that Governors Island has to offer, 365 days per year, and we’re thrilled that we’ll now have expanded connections to Brooklyn and Manhattan through NYC Ferry,” said Clare Newman, President and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island. “Expanded ferry service will connect more New Yorkers than ever to Governors Island’s open space, cultural, educational, and historic resources while increasing access for our growing community of tenants. We thank our partners at the Mayor’s office and NYCEDC for making this a reality.”
The new Governors Island service is part of an ongoing NYC Ferry expansion that in the past year has added the St. George route connecting Staten Island to Manhattan’s West Side, and the extension of the Soundview route with a new landing in Ferry Point Park in Throgs Neck in the Bronx. NYCEDC also plans to launch service on a new Coney Island Route by late 2022.
In September 2021, The Trust and the City announced that Governors Island would be open to the public year-round for the first time in history. This new daily, year-round service will accommodate Governors Island’s winter hours from 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. For NYC Ferry service schedules, visit ferry.nyc. For general Governors Island visitor information, and for a full list of ferry service options, visit govisland.org.
NYC Ferry service to Governors Island on the South Brooklyn route will operate weekdays and non-summer weekends and supplement daily ferries from Lower Manhattan operated by the Trust. On summer weekends during the highest ridership season, NYC Ferry will continue to operate its dedicated shuttle from Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan and the Trust will continue to run its shuttle from Brooklyn Bridge Park-Pier 6 and Red Hook. When NYC Ferry’s Coney Island route launches in late 2022, the South Brooklyn route will terminate at Governors Island. Bay Ridge will become part of the new Coney Island Route to provide direct faster access to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan and Sunset Park will continue to have express service to Pier 11 on the Rockaway route.
Governors Island has undergone a tremendous transformation over the last decade, including the creation of a resilient 43-acre park, a growing arts and cultural program, and remarkable growth in audience. In 2019, nearly one million people visited the Island. The Island is home to a diverse number of year-round tenants, including the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Billion Oyster Project, Shandaken Projects, Beam Center, and the Institute for Public Architecture, as well as the soon to open QC NY Spa and Buttermilk Labs — a new multi-tenant hub for coastal climate solutions announced in Fall, 2021. In June 2021, the Trust announced a competition to attract an anchor educational and research institution for its plans to develop a Center for Climate Solutions.
“This is a great day for New Yorkers, 20 years after fighting to return Governors Island to New York, year round ferry service and 7 day access to Governors Island is finally here,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler. "The island is one of the city's hidden gems and now residents and tourists alike will have an opportunity to explore and visit this wonderful place every day.”
“Over the past two years we have learned just how important the accessibility of our city’s open public spaces are to the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “Opening daily ferry service year-round to Governors Island will unlock one of New York's great centers of open space and is another giant step for increased inclusion to all our city’s wonderful parks. I thank the Trust for Governors Island, the Mayor’s office, and NYCEDC for their tremendous work in making this long-standing plan a reality and encourage all New Yorkers to discover all Governors Island has to offer even in the colder months.”
“Having daily, year-round ferry service will not only expand access to Governors Island for residents and visitors alike, it will open the door for more Brooklynites to enjoy this fantastic New York treasure,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Expanded ferry service also means increased access to the incredibly rich and diverse neighborhoods in South Brooklyn and along the Brooklyn waterfront, which opens up new opportunities to discover everything Brooklyn has to offer. This is a win-win for all New Yorkers and I am proud that Brooklyn will play an integral part in this exciting new amenity.”
“I am excited to welcome expanded NYC Ferry service to Governors Island, supporting the Island’s year-round access for all New Yorkers. I have long advocated for additional ferry service and I allocated funds in the State budget to expand service this past summer, so I am particularly gratified that the City and the Trust for Governors Island will be adding new ferry service for residents of Brooklyn and the Lower East Side,” said State Senator Brian Kavanagh, who represents Governors Island, Lower Manhattan, and western Brooklyn. “I hope that year-round access and more routine ferry service, taken together, will serve to increase people’s awareness of Governors Island as a great treasure in our midst -- and make it far easier for everyone to access the wide-open spaces, breathtaking views, and historic architecture, during every season.”
“With ferry stops added in Red Hook and Sunset Park, more of our families will be able to enjoy Governor's Island and all that it offers, especially during the summer months,” said Council Member Alexa Avilés. “The ferry system is just a piece of providing reliable public transportation in our district and around the city. I look forward to continued expansion of our transportation network, especially through reducing fares and fully integrating with the MTA as our neighborhoods continue to recover from the pandemic.”
“I'm glad Lower East Siders, and many other New Yorkers, will have greater access to our district's largest park on Governors Island,” said Council Member Christopher Marte. “We desperately lack green space in the Lower East Side, and this expanded ferry line is a good step toward making the public amenities and resources of our city more equitable.”
“I am thrilled to celebrate the beginning of year-round access to Governors Island,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera. “For years, we have called for expanded transportation to the island so that more and more New Yorkers could experience and enjoy this unique public space. As the City continues to invest in resiliency and climate infrastructure, year-round, direct NYC ferry service to Governors Island from the Lower East Side and Brooklyn makes good on our commitment to providing more green recreational opportunities citywide. Thank you to all involved in making this dream a reality, especially the Trust for Governors Island and NYCEDC.”
“Governors Island is one of the great public spaces in the middle of the most spectacular harbor in the world,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler. “While it is a stone’s throw away from our waterfront, Brooklynites will finally have daily, year round, affordable access via ferry stops in DUMBO, Cobble Hill, and Red Hook!”
“Manhattan Community Board 1 is incredibly excited by the expanded NYC Ferry service to Governors Island,” said Tammy Meltzer, Chairperson, Manhattan Community Board 1. “The expansion will make this beloved resource more accessible to New Yorkers for regular use. This, coupled with the Island being open all winter for the first time, will increase public access to the Island and open the door for New Yorkers and visitors to utilize the Island in new ways. We look forward to working with the Trust on the new opportunities this expansion will bring for public programming and year round opportunities for use of the bucolic parks as an escape from the winter city blues.”
“Brooklyn Community Board 6 is very pleased to see that what we've long supported – Red Hook as a ferry stop with year-round access to Governors Island – is now the reality,” said Michael Racioppo, Brooklyn Community Board 6 District Manager.
“With Governors Island now open 365 days a year, the need for more direct ferry connections has never been more critical,” said Merritt Birnbaum, Executive Director of the Friends of Governors Island. “Becoming a regular daily stop on the South Brooklyn line makes it possible for the Island to be part of everyday life for more New Yorkers. Now for the first-time residents of Red Hook, the Lower East Side, and other waterfront neighborhoods will be just a few minutes away from the extraordinary open space, amenities and programming that make Governors Island such a terrific public resource.”
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation creates shared prosperity across New York City’s five boroughs by strengthening neighborhoods and creating good jobs. NYCEDC works with and for communities to provide them with the resources they need to thrive, and we invest in projects that increase sustainability, support job growth, develop talent, and spark innovation to strengthen the City’s competitive advantage. To learn more about our work and initiatives, please visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About the Trust for Governors Island
The Trust for Governors Island is the nonprofit corporation created by the City of New York that is responsible for the redevelopment and operation of 150 acres of Governors Island. The Trust's mission is to realize the full potential of Governors Island for the inspiration and enjoyment of all New Yorkers, demonstrating a bold vision for public space. For more information, visit govisland.org.
