New York City Ferry riders will pay more to travel along the city’s waterways beginning Oct. 19, after the New York City Economic Development Corporation approved an increase, raising the price of a one-way ticket from $4.50 to $5.
The change will also affect the price of 10-trip passes, which will increase from $29 to $30 and bring each trip to $3, the same as the base fare for city buses and subways. However, the $15 unlimited two-day pass will remain the same.
Discounted one-way tickets will increase from $1.45 to $1.50. The reduced fare is available to eligible riders, including seniors, people with disabilities and low-income New Yorkers enrolled in the city’s discount program.
Baruch students who take the ferry to class will be affected, as many take additional transportation from the waterfront to campus. A $5 ferry ride combined with the $3 subway or bus fare could cost a Baruch student commuting by ferry $8 each way, or $16 for a round-trip commute.
The ferry’s operating costs have remained a concern as the city works to reduce the amount taxpayers contribute toward each trip. The latest fare increase is part of an effort to generate additional revenue amid the rising operating and fuel costs.
“Each year, the cost to provide NYC Ferry service increases along with costs of light fuel,” Matthew Petric, senior vice president at the EDC, told the Gothamist. “These fare increases help offset some of those costs.”
When the modern ferry system launched in 2017 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, a single ride cost $2.75, matching the cost of a subway or bus ride at the time. The fare increased to $4 in 2022, marking the system’s first fare increase, and rose again to $4.50 in 2024. With the latest increase, the price of a single NYC Ferry ride will have increased by $2.25 since the system began operating.
The NYC Ferry was created with the intention of providing reliable transportation for waterfront communities. The system has since expanded to serve all five boroughs, connecting communities throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Around seven million passengers use the NYC Ferry annually, with the system spanning roughly 70 nautical miles across the city.