Ferry between Staten Island and Bay Ridge opens for first time since 1964

Kami Nguyen

Ferry between Staten Island and Bay Ridge opens for first time since 1964
For the first time since 1964, Staten Island commuters board a fast ferry bound for Bay Ridge, restoring a direct water link between Staten Island and south Brooklyn. Photo courtesy of Transportation Alternatives

On Monday, Dec. 8, numerous New York City elected officials and representatives from organizations and advocacy groups such as the St. George Civic Association, Transportation Alternatives, the New Brighton Citizens Committees, and the Bay Ridge Environmental Group rode the first fast ferry from St. George, Staten Island to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, affectionately nicknamed the “ferry-zzano.”

The morning consisted of a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the St. George terminal and an onboard celebration. Transportation Alternatives’ director of communications Alexa Sledge, who was on the inaugural ride, said, “It was really exciting. It was also kind of anti-climactic, because the boat ride from Staten Island to Bay Ridge is like 10 minutes. It's a really incredible boat ride. You're barely on the boat at all.”

Ferry service between Staten Island and Bay Ridge ended with the opening of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in 1964, and resumed Dec. 8 as part of NYC Ferry’s systemwide route changes.

The St. George route now connects Staten Island riders to Manhattan’s west side while also extending east to Bay Ridge and onward to Atlantic Avenue/Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 and Wall Street/Pier 11, where riders can transfer to other ferry routes.

The effort was spearheaded by St. George resident Justin Wood, who began a change.org petition for the route in 2021 and was also in attendance at the ceremony. The route is expected to create better access to jobs for the island’s residents.

“Access to transportation is a well-documented social determinant of health, and this new line will serve as a vital resource, connecting Staten Islanders to critical job opportunities, health services, and amenities that have been historically difficult for our residents to access,” said Adrienne Abbate, the executive director of Staten Island Partnerships for Community Wellness.

“I do have a good friend who's a school teacher in Bay Ridge, and she was telling me that her co-workers are really excited about the ferry because so many of them live on Staten Island and work at the school in Bay Ridge,” Sledge said. “I'm assuming there aren't as many people as there will be a couple months down the line or until more people know about it, but I do think it's going to become a pretty popular ferry route.”

A one-way NYC Ferry ticket costs $4.50, and riders can also purchase a 10-trip pass for $29.

Other planned changes include a summer-weekend pilot in 2026 that would restore South Brooklyn route stops at Bay Ridge and Sunset Park/Brooklyn Army Terminal, after the Dec. 8 systemwide redesign cut those stops from the route’s regular schedule.

NYCEDC has identified new landings at East Harlem’s 125th Street and at MADE-Bush Terminal. If built, the MADE landing would join the existing Sunset Park/Brooklyn Army Terminal stop, giving Sunset Park two ferry landings total.

While there is not yet an official opening date for the new landings, NYCEDC has reported progress at MADE-Bush Terminal, including construction work at Pier 6 near Bush Terminal Piers Park.

NYCEDC is also accepting proposals for a food and beverage concession to anchor the campus’s Café Building through Jan. 30, 2026.

Public Records has partnered with NYCEDC to develop a new music and arts venue on the MADE-Bush Terminal campus, a project NYCEDC says is expected to be completed in late 2026. Jeremy Kaplan, a member of Brooklyn Community Board 7, said the decision underscores the need for more public conversation and transparency about tenant selection and how the MADE campus is being used.

For those further interested in the neighborhood’s transportation and infrastructure developments, NYCEDC has published a Sunset Park district update report introducing plans for its work in the area.