The Jersey City Municipal Council will vote May 24 on a resolution engaging NY Waterway to operate a ferry service between Port Liberte and Manhattan. Using $4 million in state funding, the service will run five days a week with adult fares discounted nearly 40% from previous levels to $8.00 each way.
To help ferry residents to the ferry, the City will “enhance” its existing low-cost taxi service in partnership with Via and offer “expanded” Citi Bike stations in Greenville.
“We acquired the ferry terminal to have an active role in subsidizing rates and providing greater and more equitable access to critical transportation services that our residents from Greenville to Bergen-Lafayette need. … With this resolution, we will make the most of our existing resources and connect residents to the terminal who may not otherwise have access to ferry services,” said Mayor Fulop.
NY Waterway operated out of the Port Liberte Ferry Terminal until service was suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pending approval of the contractual agreement by the Municipal Council on May 24, ferry service should resume this summer.
“NY Waterway is delighted to be provisionally selected as the new operator for commuter ferry service out of Port Liberte,” said Armand Pohan, NY Waterway’s President and CEO. “We submitted a highly competitive service proposal and are thrilled that we are getting the opportunity to fulfill it. We look forward to finalizing our agreement with Jersey City and launching this new service as soon as possible.”
Ferry service at the Port Liberte Ferry Terminal began in April 2003, providing residents with a 17-minute direct trip to Pier 11 in Manhattan. The average annual ridership for the route was approximately 83,000.
When ferry service stopped in 2020, Jersey City launched on-demand, low-cost taxi service with Via to connect residents to major transit hubs, jobs, schools, medical services, civic institutions, and other destinations. The company currently completes approximately 13,000 trips per week. According to its data, Jersey City’s low-income populations have benefited the most. The most popular destination is the Journal Square transportation hub.