NYCEDC says NYC Ferry ridership is at record levels
Written by Nick Blenkey
Photo: NYC Ferry
According to a recent report by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), the City-owned NYC Ferry service served 6.6 million total riders in FY 2023. There were 550,000 riders on average per month, a 23% increase from FY 2022. Accordingly, says NYCEDC, “FY 2023 was NYC Ferry’s highest ridership fiscal year since launch in Fiscal 2017, indicating continued growth and recovery from pandemic-related ridership impacts.”
After the announcement of the NYC Ferry Forward plan in July 2022, NCYEDC and NYC Ferry have worked to implement the plan, which calls for a more equitable, accessible, and financially sustainable five-borough ferry system.
NYCEDC says that the plan has fortified its commitment to greater financial transparency into the system with the publication of NYC Ferry ridership, financial, and subsidy information.
In September 2022, NYC Ferry implemented a new fare policy which raised the base fare to $4 and introduced a ten-trip ticket pack at $27.50. The ten-trip ticket pack now brings the cost per trip to nearly the same cost as subway trip. With the record-breaking ridership, exceeding pre-pandemic levels with farebox revenue, the per-passenger subsidy is down dramatically and on track to be reduced by nearly 30% by 2025.
The program has continued to build on the system’s early success to expand the Ferry Discount Program for seniors, people with disabilities, and participants in the Fair Fares NYC program. The Ferry Discount Program continues to grow with approved applications increasing approximately 3-5% per week, with a total of over 9,000 participants.
NYCEDC says that ridership growth continued despite a higher base fare, demonstrating the viability of a growing system. Additional Ferry Forward initiatives included the Faster Connections pilot, which sped up travel times for riders along the South Brooklyn route, and provided discounted fares to students at the New York Harbor School on Governors Island.
