NYC Ferry route redesign coming in December following ridership boom

Ferry big changes are coming.

NYC Ferry routes will be operating with major changes starting Dec. 8 — including combined routes with new stops — as part of an new “optimized” ferry plan designed to carry more New Yorkers between boroughs.

Under the new Ferry Optimization Plan, riders will finally be able to trek from Brooklyn and Staten Island via the St. George route, which starts in West Manhattan and ends at Wall Street.

The expanded route will also provide access from Brooklyn to Manhattan’s west side via ferry for the first time, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the nonprofit that manages the fleet.

The upcoming changes mark “the first-ever systemwide redesign to deliver faster commutes, better connections, and improved service for New Yorkers across all five boroughs,” NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball said in a statement.

Another new route — a combined Soundview and Rockaway service — will shuttle commuters from Throgs Neck in the Bronx to Manhattan’s east side and then all the way to the Rockaways in Queens.

The combination will fill previously near-empty boats going toward the Bronx during morning rides, the agency said.

East River service will also be split in two routes at most times of day under the new plan due to allow for more seat availability, “increasing capacity and making trips faster,” according to the agency.

Both routes will start at at East 34th Street, with Route A stopping at Hunters Point South and North Williamsburg and Route B stopping at Greenpoint and South Williamsburg.

A pilot service will kickoff in South Brooklyn on summer weekends in 2026, extending the new South Brooklyn route to Bay Ridge and Sunset Park.

The results of the pilot will be analyzed the following fall.

The news comes as the ferry system saw ridership numbers explode in recent years. Ridership in the first quarter of 2025 soared nearly 6% year-over-year and a whopping 35% since 2019.

The surge notably comes after Manhattan congestion tolling charges were implemented in January of this year. The controversial tolling program in Manhattan has even pushed some Bronx residents to advocate for their own ferry service, The Post previously reported.

The water-based expansion also appears to show no signs of slowing down, as a new report from the agency released Monday outlines plans for two new stops at East Harlem’s 125th Street and the MADE-Bush Terminal in Sunset Park, as well as upgrades to East 34th Street — one of the system’s busiest terminals.

The report also floated potential sites in Canarsie, East Midtown, Coney Island and Far Rockaway, as well as JFK and LaGuardia airports.

The EDC noted it will begin to develop a plan for the next phases of NYC Ferry service in early 2026 with input from the public and officials to ensure the updated routes can “address community needs and reflect changing priorities around the city.”