City Island wants a ferry. The city told the Council each far-off new route would cost $5 million to $6 million a year

City Island residents told the Council why they want a ferry stop, the Bronx Times reported this week, in coverage of an Oct. 20 hearing on a bill that could lead to a landing there. The island has one bridge and limited transit. At the hearing, its Council member described walking past one empty storefront after another on City Island Avenue (17:10).

Why it matters to residents: the Council has six ferry bills pending, from City Island to Canarsie. The city's answer shapes where new service could go and what it would cost taxpayers, at a time when the city must soon decide the future of the NYC Ferry operating contract.

What our records add

The bills were heard Oct. 20 at a joint hearing of the Committee on Economic Development, chaired by Virginia Maloney, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, chaired by Shaun Abreu (meeting page).

The City Island bill. Int. 1032, from Amanda C. Farías, would require the city to study possible landing sites on or next to City Island. It goes beyond a study: if a suitable site is found, the bill sets a process for design, construction and then service. Farías said residents had been asking her office about a ferry since 2023, that her office had received more than 350 emails and letters in support, and that the bill does not pick a location (12:07). Shirley Aldebol, whose district includes City Island, presented it with her as a co-sponsor.

What the city said it would cost. The city's Economic Development Corporation, which runs NYC Ferry, said City Island, West 125th Street and Willets Point all lie far from existing routes. Distance is "one of the single biggest cost drivers," an official said. EDC estimated each would have a net operating cost of $5 million to $6 million a year just to run two boats back and forth (50:36). It said a private operator might serve West 125th Street without a subsidy.

What the system costs now. Maloney said NYC Ferry's subsidy was $8.03 per trip in fiscal 2025, not counting boat purchases or depreciation, and that the base fare had just risen from $4.50 to $5 (2:03). The operator contract with Hornblower expires in 2028 and includes built-in extension options. EDC said it was "premature" to decide whether to extend it or seek new bids (52:38).

All six ferry bills. Four were heard Oct. 20 and laid over:

• Int. 1032, City Island (Farías), 50 days old.
• Int. 704, Canarsie Pier, from Mercedes Narcisse, 248 days old.
• Int. 846, Willets Point, from Shanel Thomas-Henry, 197 days old.
• Int. 1022, West 125th Street, from Shaun Abreu, 50 days old.

Two more were heard earlier this year and laid over: Int. 465, from Althea V. Stevens, on the Harlem River, and Int. 163, from Carmen N. De La Rosa, on Inwood. Two bills from Selvena N. Brooks-Powers have had no hearing: Int. 108, on Rockaway service, and Int. 121, on new terminals. At the hearing, Brooks-Powers noted EDC told the Council in 2024 that ferries couldn't fit under the train bridge to serve the eastern Rockaways, and asked for a fresh look (1:52:36).

What's next

EDC said it is working on a broader ferry vision study, and Farías's bill would set a deadline for the City Island part. All of the bills remain in committee. A vote would require new committee action, and the administration has not said whether it supports any of them.