Local leaders are trying to restore a ferry line between Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, which has been shuttered for decades and which city lawmakers say could dramatically cut commute times.
A ferry connection from the St. George terminal on Staten Island to the former 69th Street Ferry pier in Brooklyn would give New Yorkers in Brooklyn and Staten Island an alternative to bridge tolls and rush hour traffic, Councilmembers Justin Brannan and Kamillah Hanks wrote in a letter to Mayor Eric Adams on Friday. A typical commute between the two boroughs usually takes more than 90 minutes, they said.
“There’s a real demand for it, we get people asking about it from both sides of the bridge,” Brannan said. “I think it’s a no-brainer, I mean the ferry ships are there and the infrastructure is there.”
He said many people grew up in southern Brooklyn and then bought a house in Staten Island or they work or go to school in Staten Island and live in Brooklyn. He added that constituents have been asking for the ferry line to be restored since the city resurrected the 69th Street ferry pier in 2017.
The 1.5 mile route ran between the two boroughs for 75 years until it was discontinued when the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened in 1964.
Staten Island joined the fast ferry system in August 2021 with its St. George route, which connects Staten Island’s north shore to the West Side of Manhattan in Battery Park City and Midtown Manhattan.
But according to the councilmembers, Staten Island is still the least served borough by the fast ferry service.
Adams’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.