Next week, NYC Council committees will review a bill to potentially expand ferry service to City Island.
City Council Members Amanda Farías (CD-18) and Shirley Aldebol (CD-13) proposed Introduction 1032-2026 (Intro 1032) last month, which would require multiple municipal city agencies to study and report on the feasibility of new ferry service to City Island.
If the study determines one or more City Island ferry sites are suitable, construction of a dock would be required within one year and ferry service to the Island would be extended, according to the NYC Council bill introduced on Sept. 10.
A potential alternative to reach a water-locked transit desert
The seemingly isolated seaside neighborhood of the borough which makes up City Island is widely considered a transit desert, due to the lack of direct subway access to the area and is totally dependent on the Bx29 public bus route which serves the Island.
At about 3.5 miles away via vehicular transport, the Pelham Bay Park station 6 train is the closest subway stop to City Island.
During Phase 2 of the NYC Ferry Expansion in the late 2010s, the City Island Civic Association, alongside elected officials and local advocates, championed a landing at Orchard Beach. The plan, however, never came to fruition.
In late December 2021, the NYC Ferry’s Rockaway-Soundview route officially extended from Soundview to Throggs Neck with a landing at Ferry Point Park. The expansion was considered a “game changer” for commuters and prompted nearly 1,000 City Island to advocate in the following months for ferry service at City Island, as previously reported by the Bronx Times.
Since then, the landings at Soundview and Throggs Neck had remained the only two NYC Ferry stops in the borough.
City Island Rising board member John Doyle, who is passionate about the concept, said a City Island ferry stop would provide a range of positive impacts for the community, such as unlock economic opportunities, make City Island more accessible for people across NYC and provide essential lifelines for locals.
“There’s only one way in and one way out of here,” Doyle said. “If an emergency hits City Island, do residents have enough ways to evacuate?”
Local business owners say a landing will boost Island’s economy
A City Island resident and business owner, Dan Treiber of Dan’s Parents’ House, a local nostalgic toy and collectibles store, said the gain of having a City Island ferry stop would be twofold, as it would benefit the local businesses and also alleviate traffic congestion to and from the Island.
“Customers in the Bronx and even in other boroughs say they want to get to me, but they don’t really know how to get here,” Treiber said.
Clipper Coffee owner Peter Gennari, who also lives on the Island, thought the implementation of a City Island ferry stop would have a great effect on the community and allow people who live on City Island more transit accessibility to Manhattan and vice versa.
Gennari also believes a ferry expansion to City Island would facilitate an option for people across the city to enjoy the views, seafood, and all City Island has to offer.
“There’s a uniqueness here,” Gennari added. “City Island is a true gem and a ferry stop would accentuate that.”
In a statement to the Bronx Times, Council Member Farías said Intro 1032 provides an opportunity to better connect City Island with the rest of the city, support local businesses and create greater vibrancy.
“Having lived in the Bronx my entire life, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges our waterfront communities face, including the continued vacancies in City Island’s storefronts,” Farías said. “The hearing will be an opportunity to hear all perspectives and concerns and identify how we can strengthen the bill moving forward.”
