Another sign of recovery for New York City: the Staten Island Ferry is returning to its full schedule.
Starting August 16, overnight service every 30 minutes will resume as the city continues to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Staten Island Ferry is a lifeline for Staten Islanders,” Mayor de Blasio said. “It’s crucial to bringing the recovery to Staten Island.”
Ferry service was slashed drastically in March 2020 as the pandemic locked down the city. Boats only ran every hour instead of 30 minutes or less until last July, when the city Department of Transportation restored rush-hour schedules.
Now it’s coming back in full — but it’ll take the city nearly two months to hire new crews to run the ferries.
Overnight subway service was restored in May, but the ferry has taken longer due to staffing issues, especially since some job requirements include maritime certification.
Staten Island Borough President James Oddo needled de Blasio about the delay in restoring ferry service, suggesting the mayor gave him gray hairs wondering when it would happen.
He hailed the move as a boon to essential workers who live in the smallest borough and the entire city’s 24-hour economy.
“We fought through COVID and we fought for this moment,” he said. “We can’t have a recovery for all without a Staten Island Ferry that serves all the people.”
With Clayton Guse
