By
Rebecca Gibson |
New York City in the US is to launch a new city-wide ferry service in 2017.
Speaking at his second State of the City address, New York’s Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed plans to launch a system that will bring together existing East River routes with new landings and services to Astoria, the Rockaways, South Brooklyn, Soundview and the Lower East Side. It will be supported by the city administration and funded by a US$55 million capital investment
“For years, the conventional wisdom has been that certain neighbourhoods are doomed to isolation because of their geography and we are going to change that,” said de Blasio. “Tickets will be priced the same as a MetroCard fare, so ferries will be as affordable to everyday New Yorkers as our subways and buses, so residents of the Rockaways and Red Hook and Soundview will now be closer to the opportunities they need.”
Pending additional funding, the government intends to expand services to Stapleton and Coney Island in future.