Bay Ridge councilman says ‘bring expanded ferry service here’
The East River ferry service connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan is such a success, it should be expanded. That was the major thrust of a press conference Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn had on Dec. 20, as they announced that the city is seeking a ferry service operator willing to set up a five-year plan.
Bloomberg, Quinn, and Seth Pinsky, president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, announced that a Request for Proposals (RFP) was being issued to find a ferry operator.
Since its launch in June of 2011, the East River ferry has carried more than 1.6 million passengers, already surpassing the initial projections of approximately 1.3 million passengers for the entirety of the three-year pilot program, according to Pinsky. The initial three-year pilot service operated by BillyBey Ferry Company is contracted through June of 2014.