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Cheap Rockaway Commuter Ferry To Cease Operations In October
By
Lauren Evans
Published Jul 23, 2014
Modified Jul 23, 2014
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By
Lauren Evans
Published Jul 23, 2014
Modified Jul 23, 2014
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Well, shit. Despite valiant efforts from activists determined to keep it in place, the subsidized Rockaway Ferry will set sail for its final commute at the end of October.
“As part of the Mayor’s executive budget, the city added funding for a fourth service extension to allow operation through October, supporting both Rockaway commuters and Brooklyn residents during the R train outage," a spokeswoman for the city's Economic Development Corporation told DNAinfo. "The Rockaway ferry service will not operate beyond October."
The ferry's demise is not a total surprise, since de Blasio did not address it in his $75 billion budget unveiled last month.
Instated by Mayor Bloomberg as a commuting solution for Rockaway dwellers after Sandy mutilated the A train, the service was originally set to expire last year, but was ultimately extended four times. Stops were also added to accommodate Sunset Park residents effed over by the R train, with pick-ups at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, Wall Street and 34th Street.
Moreover, the ferry was not only a convenient transportation option, but an affordable one, with tickets currently just $3.50 per ride. It wasn't quite so cost-effective for the city, however—with an operating cost of $5 million a year, the ferry is substantially pricier than other mass transit alternatives, like buses.
A request for proposals to find a permanent operator for the service proved unsuccessful, since none offered a viable solution to filling the budget gap, a source told the news site.
Luckily, the R train will be back in action in October, according the MTA. And there will still be a ferry running to Rockaway... on weekends... for $30.
Tagged
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r train
rockaway ferry
Lauren Evans
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