Photo: Courtesy of EDC
Aug. 20, 2020 By Christian Murray
Western Queens residents looking to get to the Upper East Side of Manhattan in a hurry will soon be able to take the ferry.
The NYC Economic Development Corp. announced today that it has extended the NYC Ferry’s Astoria route to serve East 90th Street. The new connection will go into effect Saturday.
The East 90th Street stop is just 4 minutes from the Astoria dock at Hallets Cove. The Astoria route also connects with Long Island City, which will be just 18 minutes from East 90th Street.
The Astoria route—which was introduced in 2017– currently connects to Manhattan at 34th Street and Wall Street but only after a number of stops. Riders looking to get uptown are required to take the subway.
The addition follows years of advocacy from civic leaders such as Richard Khuzami, the president of the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association. His organization launched petitions and helped get elected officials to rally behind it.
“Establishing additional connections and cutting travel time between neighborhoods and job centers is what NYC Ferry is all about,” said James Patchett, President and CEO of New York City Economic Development Corporation, in a statement.
The new connection was lauded by leaders of the Astoria Houses NYCHA complex, which is located by the Astoria dock at Hallets Cove.
“This vital NYC Ferry connection between Astoria and Manhattan is an important step in connecting Western Queens residents – many of whom are essential workers at our city’s hospitals and medical institutions – directly to employment, education, and cultural opportunities that until now required an onerous commute,” Claudia Coger, President of Astoria Houses Tenant Association, said.
Currently, fares on a NYC ferry ride cost $2.75.
The new Astoria Route with the addition of East 90th Street (NYC Ferry)
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2 Comments
NYC is in financial ruin that will take years to pull out of. Meanwhile this ferry service that no one really uses gets another route. They call the current commute onerous. So this boat that docks in a desolate, dangerous area in Astoria takes you across the river and leaves you on East End avenue and 90th street-which is basically nowhere. This is an improvement? More wasteful spending.
Not that desolate or dangerous. Waterfront in Astoria is growing rapidly with large scale residential projects. Additional transit options are a boon. Try it, you just might like it.