Two New York City Council members are charting a course to reconnect Staten Island and Brooklyn by water — reviving a historic ferry route that’s been dormant for six decades.
City Council Pushes to Reconnect Staten Island and Brooklyn by Ferry
Council Members Justin Brannan of Brooklyn and Kamillah Hanks of Staten Island have introduced new legislation, Intro. 1306, that would reestablish ferry service between Bay Ridge and the St. George terminal. The bill seeks to integrate Staten Island into the city’s broader NYC Ferry network, offering a long-awaited waterborne alternative to car-clogged bridges and sluggish bus routes.
“This bill brings us one step closer to reestablishing that vital link,” Hanks said. “Restoring a smarter, faster and more resilient option for commuters and families who deserve better than traffic jams and endless bus transfers.”
A Historic Route Poised for a Comeback
The proposed route would likely rely on existing infrastructure, including Bay Ridge’s American Veterans Memorial Pier at 69th Street and Staten Island’s St. George terminal. These two sites once hosted regular ferry traffic until 1964, when the opening of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge led to the service’s quiet demise — just four days after the bridge began operation.
Now, with traffic congestion worsening and climate goals pressing, Brannan and Hanks say it’s time to bring the ferry back.
“This isn’t a new idea,” said Brannan. “It’s a return to something that always made sense. Reestablishing the St. George-Bay Ridge ferry restores a direct, logical connection that should have never been lost.”
Reviving the ‘Blue Subway’
In 2024, the council members wrote a joint letter to Mayor Eric Adams urging the restoration of ferry service and calling for a direct Brooklyn stop as part of the city’s East River ferry system.
If enacted, the bill would mark a significant step in expanding access to the city’s “blue subway,” a nickname for the ferry network that some transit advocates see as an underused lifeline for outer-borough commuters.
Brannan previously worked with the city’s Economic Development Corporation in 2023 to establish an express ferry between Bay Ridge and Wall Street, further showing that harbor transit can be more than a novelty for tourists.
“The harbor becomes a true transit corridor,” Brannan said. “Not just for tourists or weekend riders, but for working New Yorkers who need real alternatives. It’s time we made smart use of our harbor again.”
Beyond convenience, the lawmakers hope the restored route can reduce car dependency, lower emissions, and boost local economies on both sides of the harbor.
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