OPINION: Applause for NYC Ferry, but time to extend service even more
The NYC Ferry is finally here. From Rockaway to Williamsburg, from Bay Ridge to Astoria, people have hailed it as a new, comfortable way to get from Brooklyn and Queens to Manhattan. With the looming temporary shutdown of the L train in 2019, which will basically knock out mass transit between North Williamsburg/Greenpoint and Manhattan for 15 months starting in April 2019, ferry service is more important than ever– and it’s encouraging that the new ferry has separate stops at South Williamsburg, North Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
Some people, however, feel they’ve been left out, and one well-publicized example involves many residents of Coney Island, Gravesend and nearby areas.
For at least 10 years, including during the planning process for the current ferry services, the idea of a ferry stop in Coney Island has been avidly discussed by politicians, community groups and others. In 2015, the Coney Island Blog polled its readers on whether they wanted the boats to come to Coney. Forty-two readers said they would support a ferry terminating at Coney Island Creek, 208 people wanted a ferry terminating at the beach area, and only four people didn’t want one at all.
The idea of ferries to Coney Island isn’t really a new idea. From the 19th century until the 1930s, the Iron Steamboat Company ran ferries from various Manhattan locations, first to its own pier, the Iron Pier, and later to Steeplechase Pier. Today’s ferryboats are certainly faster than the old paddle-wheelers used back then.