As the sun rose over the East River Wednesday morning, it was slow going for one NYC Ferry pulling into the Wall Street ferry terminal at Pier 11 for the first time since Jan. 27. 

Extreme ice conditions in the New York Harbor caused by frigid temperatures froze ferry service on all routes.

What You Need To Know

Partial service on NYC Ferry’s Rockaway-Soundview route returned Wednesday morning 

Extreme ice conditions in the New York Harbor caused by frigid temperatures froze ferry service on all routes

NYC Ferry says to anticipate delays and schedule changes, as the ice conditions are changing quickly

But with temperatures rising, partial service on the Rockaway-Soundview route returned Wednesday morning. 

The route —which starts in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, extends down Manhattan’s East Side to Lower Manhattan, cuts across to Sunset Park in Brooklyn and ends in Rockaway — was making only limited stops at Ferry Point Park, Soundview, East 90th Street, East 34th Street, Stuyvesant Cove and Pier 11.

The ferry would not stop at the landings in Sunset Park and Rockaway, which are still not accessible due to ice conditions.

“It was pretty good. I mean, it was ice, obviously, but they maneuvered around it pretty well,” ferry rider Leon Gibson said. “Other than that, I was just glad it was back running again.” 

“Everybody was walking around checking, making sure everything was OK,” Gibson added. “It could have been a lot worse than what it was.”

Passengers on the early morning ferries say service was delayed anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes as the fleet’s specially-trained captains navigated the icy waters.

Ed Diaz, from the Bronx, said he could hear ice hitting the boat.

“The boat was there. It moved slow. It was still hitting some ice, but it wasn’t a bad ride, I mean, a little nerve-racking, but it wasn’t bad,” Diaz said. “The boat vibrated a little bit. You can hear the ice being pushed away as the boat’s going through. The further we got down here, the worse it got.” 

NYC Ferry says to anticipate delays and schedule changes, as the ice conditions are changing quickly. 

Crews will be out to see which routes can be safely brought back into operation next.