Last year when the city announced the stops for the new Citywide Ferry coming to the transit-starved neighborhood of Soundview in The Bronx, the first thing we noticed was that the route would skip 34th Street where 3 other lines converge from Queens and Brooklyn.
Of course we spoke up and urged Citywide to reconsider because once again, The Bronx would get shafted, I mean, it doesn’t make sense to provide a service and not stop in midtown.
In fact, we were the ONLY ones in the media making noise about this.
Soon after, Bronx politicians and residents also raised their concerns about this short-sighted planning but now that all has changed thanks to our collective voices telling the city to rethink their plans.
Once the service begins next year for Bronxites, residents will be able to not just stop at 9oth Street, and Wall Street but also at 34th Street and switch over to another ferry and head to Queens or Brooklyn for an estimated 22/23 minutes shaved off commute times.
amNewYork reports:
The announcement comes after Manhattan Councilman Daniel Garodnick, who represents a district covering a large swath of Midtown East, penned a letter to the agency asking it to add a 34th Street stop to the route. Garodnick believes the stop would boost options for riders looking to access jobs in Midtown, where NYC Ferry offers a free shuttle bus, and increase transfer opportunities to other ferry routes.
By adding the stop, Garodnick estimated that Bronx commuters could save 23 minutes in commuting to Astoria or Long Island City in Queens and 22 minutes to Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
“A 34th Street connection on this route is a no brainer — and will serve to the benefit of riders from the Bronx on down,” Garodnick said in a statement. “This additional connection to Midtown’s transit hubs and job centers is a big win for the commuting public in New York.”
So now let’s get the ferry running elsewhere in The Bronx so we all have equitable access!
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