A local group is looking to raise money to get the ferry service between Newburgh and Beacon back up and running.

Newburgh resident Carson Carter says the grassroots “Save the Ferry” coalition is working to raise $200,000 in order to prove to the MTA that there is still a need for that ferry service that it shuttered last year.

Ideally, the ferry would run between Newburgh and Beacon from Friday to Sunday during the summer and fall. It would offer a faster way to travel between the two cities, encouraging visits to shops and restaurants. 

“People on both sides of the river want to cross,” Carter said. “They want to utilize this six-minute connection, rather than 15 to 45 minutes (by vehicle), if you’re in evening rush trying to get back over one direction or the other.”

Ferry services would be provided by New York Boat Company, which already does trips in nearby Peekskill.

The Orange County Industrial Development Agency has already pledged half of the goal with donations needed for the rest.

“This is a catalyst project that is going to help a lot of housing that’s being built in Newburgh,” Carter said. “It will help the existing residents and a lot that’s coming down the pike in the next few years, including a hotel in Newburgh, our first hotel in 50 years.”

MTA President Justin Vonashek released a statement.

“I’m focused on using available resources to provide safe, reliable transportation for our customers. When the river froze in January, preventing the ferry from operating and destroying the Newburgh dock, we took a hard look at this service. With an average daily ridership down to 62 people in 2024, spending $2.1 million per year to operate the ferry just didn’t add up. The good news is that they can use the existing Newburgh-Beacon bus service that provides more connections to Beacon trains throughout the day than the ferry did. Our ultimate goal is to make sure Newburgh customers have a reliable transit option to connect to Metro-North and benefit from the railroad’s record high on-time performance, which remains above 98%.”

Dozens of area residents attended a rally in Beacon last summer to call on the MTA to restore the service.