New York City Plans To Expand Its Ferry System
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Public transportation is king in New York City, where traffic congestion can add many minutes or even hours to a trip. Fortunately, New Yorkers might soon have yet another option for getting from A to B. Plans to expand service along the city's East River and other waterways would bring transit ferry service across the five boroughs, including to far-flung neighborhoods like the Rockaways in Queens — and all for $2.75, the same price as a subway or bus ride.
The new changes would drop the price citywide. NYC already has water transit service, including the existing East River Ferry, which serves parts of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. However, the ferry currently costs $4 per ride on weekdays and $6 on weekends. The city's planned expansion would have ferries operating from 21 landings across NYC by 2018 and the fleet will even be equipped with Wi-Fi.
In addition to helping locals get around, ferries are a great way for tourists to explore New York City as well. At present, the East River Ferry has stops delivering passengers to the Financial District, Downtown Brooklyn, Midtown and other hot spots.
If you're planning to take a NYC ferry, keep in mind that some credit cards also offer a bonus on transportation costs, such as Citi Premier® Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. The Chase Freedom card (No longer open to new applicants) also currently offers a bonus of 5x the points on local transit costs through the end of the month.
H/T: Gothamist