Tourists, casual riders to pay $4 for NYC Ferry rides

Prices will drop for low-income and elderly riders [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] The cost of an NYC Ferry ride is going up for tourists — and down for low-income New Yorkers Plus: Detailed ideas for congestion pricing fees. New York taxpayers could be on the hook for billions of dollars with Gov. Hochul's Penn Station renovation. And an MTA board member was not happy about losing his special parking pass. Sponsor Message[Ad: NYC Means Business. Click here to find options to help you shop your city.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- [an NYC Ferry] Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock New York City’s ferry service is set to get cheaper for at least 1 million New Yorkers — but pricier for tourists and the occasional rider — Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Under the changes that are set to take effect on September 12, low-income New Yorkers, the elderly and people with disabilities will be able to purchase a single NYC Ferry ride for $1.35. For everyone else, a single ferry ride will go from $2.75 to $4. And for regular commuters who wish to keep paying $2.75 per ride, they'll need to purchase 10-trip packs for $27.50. Modeled after the MTA’s Fair Fares program, the new initiative — dubbed the NYC Ferry Discount Program — is intended to increase usage among low-income New Yorkers, especially those commuting from farther into the outer boroughs. "For those who just say [the ferry is] just for the affluent New Yorkers, it’s just wrong. It is for every New Yorker," Adams said. "The more we introduce New Yorkers to utilize it, they’re going to see how possible it is to move about this city." This fare increase is intended to both offset the lower cost for low-income New Yorkers and to help fund the ferry system, Adams said. NYC Ferry, which services more than 6 million riders a year, has been criticized for receiving large subsidies from New York City taxpayers, despite its low ridership that skews toward more affluent income brackets. A recent audit by City Comptroller Brad Lander revealed that the city underreported nearly $244 million worth of expenses dating back to 2015, when the ferry service started under former Mayor Bill de Blasio. While riders paid $2.75 for each ride, [the city actually subsidized $12.88 per trip]( according to the audit. "Everything we are doing is driving towards bringing that subsidy gap down," said Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, which controls the ferry service. "But we also live in the real world […] we’re in a hyper-inflationary moment. I don’t know what the outcome is going to be." Kimball said the city will put out "voluminous data" relating to all costs of the ferry system, adding that while higher prices may decrease ridership, the city will analyze the $4 single-ride price over the next year and may adjust it. — [Reporting by Elizabeth Shwe and Brigid Bergin]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsor Message [Ad: NYC Means Business. Click here to find options to help you shop your city.] --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- As MTA drags its feet on congestion pricing fees, Manhattan BP offers suggestions [traffic in Manhattan during the sunset] Gary Hershorn/Getty Images When congestion pricing finally takes effect, how much will drivers be charged for entering the zone below Manhattan’s 60th Street, and who might be exempt? Those questions are supposed to be answered by the Traffic Mobility Review Board, a panel made up of six members largely chosen by the MTA. But the MTA still hasn’t formed that panel, prompting Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine — a supporter of congestion pricing — to put forth his own recommendations. Among his ideas: Charge drivers a different rate depending on how long they're in the zone; charge more during rush hours; charge large vehicles more than small ones; and throw [disgruntled New Jersey drivers]( a bone by allowing Holland and Lincoln Tunnel tolls to be applied to the congestion fee. "We are in part raising these important policy issues now, because we don’t want the fight over these questions to delay us further," Levine said yesterday. John McCarthy, the MTA's chief of external relations, said the agency "welcomes the borough president’s support" for congestion pricing, but still isn’t saying what it will charge, or when it’ll meet to discuss the rates. Currently, federal officials are [still reviewing]( the MTA’s response to its more than 400 questions about congestion pricing's environmental impact. — [Reporting by Stephen Nessen]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Here's What Else Is Happening New York's plan to upgrade Penn Station and the surrounding area could cost taxpayers almost $6 billion, according to a good government group. An economist hired by the group Reinvent Albany found that money from commercial leases in the nine new office towers and one residential property will only cover half of the $10 billion price tag for the project, and it could be worse if a recession or a downturn in the commercial real estate market takes hold. With such a shortfall, economists say the state will have to look for upwards of $5.9 billion from other sources, including state-backed loans that would ultimately be bankrolled by taxpayers. ( [Gothamist]( A group of NJ Transit train workers is suing the agency for not doing enough to protect them from abusive passengers. The complaint, filed by 14 workers, says that irate passengers wrestled them, threw them over seats, poured hot coffee on them, and even threatened them with knives and firearms, and when they called for help, NJ Transit security or police were too late to respond. This comes despite a state law signed earlier this year that requires NJ Transit to have communication systems in all trains and buses that allow workers to quickly contact law enforcement. ([New Jersey Monitor]( The MTA is touting its effort to minimize redundant station closures by doing track work and station beautification at the same time. In an op-ed, NYC Transit President Richard Davey said that during the upcoming 11 weekend closures on the Grand Concourse line in the Bronx, the MTA is not only going to repair signals and clean the tracks, it's also going to deep clean stations, install new benches and fix broken tiles and lighting fixtures. "We did a survey to ask you where we could do better. Your response was to improve the station environment," he wrote. ([AM New York]( An 81-year-old MTA board member had his parking placard taken away and was (allegedly) not happy about it. "Sources" told the Post that David Mack, a Long Island political power broker and MTA board member who's known for falling asleep during board meetings, yelled at MTA Chair Janno Lieber and flipped him off after finding out that his parking permit had been taken away. The revocation came after an MTA executive was caught using an expired placard to park by the agency's headquarters. "The MTAPD issues placards to police and others who need to respond to incidents at all hours and locations for official business," an MTA spokesperson said, noting that anyone who wanted their permit renewed this year would have to "justify" it. ( [New York Post]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- And Finally: A lotta history down there [a "United States of Tara" poster from 2011 that was exposed in the W 4th street station]( [Scott Rising/Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ad: NYC Means Business. Click here to find options to help you shop your city.]( Sponsor Message Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. 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