When Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vaunted commuter ferry-boat service kicks off next month, Coney Island residents will only get to wave from the shore as the taxpayer-funded boats pass off the transit-starved neighborhood’s coast.
Starting next month, the city will launch its Rockaway Route which will start in Rockaway, cruise past and around Coney Island, stop in Sunset Park and then head to Wall Street – all in an hours time. Currently, residents living in Western Coney Island have to take a bus to the nearest subway stop at Stillwell Avenue and West 14th Street, and then have another hour on a train before reaching Manhattan.
Then in June, another South Brooklyn route will bypass Coney Island altogether and instead begin in Bay Ridge with stops in Sunset Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO before ending at Wall Street. The Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO stops are within walking distance to each other – and both near subway stops.
De Blasio was at Pier 1 in the DUMBO side of Brooklyn Bridge Park today to christen the first of the ferry boats in the initiative that will cost the city $235 million over six years, in which commuters will pay $2.75 per ride separate from any subway service.
“As we prepare for launch day on May 1, we celebrate the arrival of NYC Ferry to New York Harbor and what this new citywide ferry service represents: greater opportunity for every New Yorker, from the Rockaways to the Bronx, and at just $2.75 a ride,” said de Blasio.
But Brooklyn lawmakers representing Coney Island are incensed that the city is forgetting about the thousands of residents of Western Coney Island – many of whom live in public housing – who continue to deal with poor transit options.
“Time and again, Coney Island has been overlooked when it comes to public transportation. Residents are left with extremely limited options, customers have a hard time getting to local businesses and visitors have to jump through hoops to get here,” said Assemblymember Pamela Harris (D-Coney Island, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights).
“Although the new Brooklyn Ferry will be a game-changer for other parts of the borough, it once again leaves Coney Island behind with no stop on its route. I strongly urge the New York City Economic Development Corporation to reconsider and add a Coney Island stop so that our families have the transportation options they deserve – especially now that the MTA has refused to vote on the F-Express,” she added.
City Council Member Mark Tryeger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach) noted that the 2009 rezoning on Coney Island made way for thousands of units of more housing and expanded amusement opportunities, but fell short in expanded transportation options.
“A ferry would be a game changer for Coney Island, both for residents and visitors. Borough President [Eric] Adams and I have both urged the Mayor to include Coney Island in our city’s ferry system. We will not stop our advocacy until it happens under this mayor’s watch. We have a growing coalition of support, in Coney Island and beyond, who believe the time has come that this growing area gets more transit options,” said Treyger.
When asked about the possibility of the ferry making any revisions to stop in Coney Island, a spokesperson of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) said that while Coney Island is on the radar for ferry service, there are no immediate plans for ferry service.
