Do you know about Tony the pigeon? Despite having the ability to fly, this guy chooses to commute every day by NY Waterways. Laughing Squid recently revisited his story, noting that for over three years the pigeon has been riding the ferry from Manhattan to Weehawken every day. He's even got his own Facebook page. more ›

A few months ago, we started hearing rumblings of a plan to introduce an East River Ferry service connecting Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Governors Island; and starting in just a few short days, that dream will officially become reality. more ›

Those stories of ferry service coming to Greenpoint and North Williamsburg as soon as May were pretty close! The New York City Economic Development Corporation is expected to pass a vote today to award a contract to BillyBey, a division of New York Waterway, to run a seven-stop ferry route that ranges from Long Island City to the Fulton Ferry landing with stops at Pier 11 in the Financial District, East 34th Street, south and north Williamsburg and India Street in Greenpoint. The service is expected to start in June. more ›

The L train is so over, and soon Williamsburg locals may have another means of transport: the high seas! Or, the East River. According to the NY Post, the city has issued a request for proposals for a Williamsburg ferry landing. This could bring city and privately operated ferry service to the area sometime next Spring, with possible ports of call including one on the north side as well as one in neighboring Greenpoint. As the Brooklyn Paper noted in 2007, there is also an existing ferry station at the Schaefer Landing development, just a few blocks south of the Williamsburg Bridge. more ›

For anyone who's ever gazed wistfully across the East River from Greenpoint on a Monday morning and thought, "If I just had a jet ski I'd be at work by now," here's good news: The NYC Economic Development Corp. [NYCEDC] has put out a request for proposals for a ferry station and a pier on the river in northwest Greenpoint! more ›

The Andrew J. Barberi ferry sailed for the first time yesterday since crashing in May. Last month's crash was just one more accident, leading many to say the boat is "jinxed." The Barberi was responsible for 2003's deadly crash, and has had a history of propulsion failure since leaving the shipyard in Wisconsin in 2005. But rider Brenda Harris wasn't scared. She told the Post, "There's been three accidents in 100 years. I feel safe." more ›

A report by the National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the Andrew J. Barberi's propulsion system was "possibly defective" at the time of the May 8th crash, which injured 48 people. The ferry had passed inspections less than a month before the crash, but Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe reassuringly told the Daily News, "Any mechanical device can, for any variety of reasons, go wrong at any single moment." more ›

A 1.6 acre "destination mega-playground" will open tomorrow at the end of Atlantic Avenue at Pier 6 of Brooklyn Bridge Park. GET EXCITED! (If you have kids.) But even if you're not saddled with the double-decade burden of parenthood, and still find kids cute, you should also GET EXCITED because starting tomorrow there will also be FREE ferry service between Pier 6 and Governors Island. So you can ride your fixie over there, grab a kid to go, and hit up the free Yeasayer show at "The Beach" without spending a dime. more ›

A passenger from Queens will be the first to file a lawsuit over a wrenched back he got on board the crashed Andrew J. Barbieri ferry this weekend. Flabio Silva, a construction worker, said he thought the ship had been taken out of service after the 2003 crash, and is filing a $5 million suit today, claiming he has had a difficult time sitting down since the crash. His lawyer, who represented six victims of the 2003 crash, told the Daily News, "The City of New York is responsible for the action of its employees, the crew and the operation and maintenance of this boat." more ›

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation has determined that the front two engines on the Andrew J. Barbieri ferry, which crashed into a dock and injured 37 on Saturday, stopped upon impact while the rear two continued to operate. However, interviews with the crew reveal there were no alarms or signals indicating there was anything wrong with the engines. "All conditions concerning the engines were normal prior to the accident," NTSB member Robert Sumwalt told 1010WINS. more ›

In the wake of yesterday's Staten Island Ferry crash, many are wondering why the Andrew J. Barbieri—the ship also responsible for a crash in 2003 that killed 11—is still in commission. The second-oldest ship in the Staten Island Ferry fleet, the Barbieri had engine failure problems on its christening in 1981. The ship was named for a Curtis High School coach who died in 1979, but yesterday his son told the Times, "Papa would be concerned about the ferry. He’d say, ‘If the boat has safety problems, get rid of it.’ ” more ›

Commuters on the Staten Island Ferry fear that without bathroom attendants the facilities will go from sparkling to unsightly, especially during weekend "drunk boat" hours. At a budget hearing yesterday the Department of Transportation announced it would eliminate the jobs of eight women's room matrons and a dozen deckhands that clean the men's rooms, reports the Advance. Though the attendants cost the city $1.4 million per year, ferry passengers were distressed by the decision. "There's going to be drunk people in here and a mess," said Jessica Sosa of Dongan Hills. more ›

Subway ridership dropped last year but the Staten Island ferry had people hanging off the railings. Passenger numbers set an all-time record: more than 21 million people rode the ferry in 2009, reports the Staten Island Advance. During rush hours sleepy commuters couldn’t catch a nap since all the seats were taken; they couldn’t get a pick-me-up since the concessions line took almost as long as the ride. "Ferry riders tell us we're on the right track and we will continue to look for new ways to make their rides as safe, comfortable and attractive as they can be,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. more ›

There's nothing more satisfying than a rusting piece of our history being pulled from its watery grave. Earlier this year we saw this old bell be dredged up in Coney Island, and now Lady Liberty's Twitter alerts us that the old sunken Ellis Island Ferry has been pulled from the water. They say, "The old ferry, Ellis Island, which carried millions of approved immigrants to Manhattan" has remained sunken at her slip for decades. They note "It is being removed to allow restoration work on the seawall, and improved boat access to the slip." more ›

Crazy Coney Island news just keeps on coming. Less than a week after Mayor Bloomberg reached a $95.7 million deal to purchase 6.9 acres of the neighborhood's ailing amusement district from landowner Joe Sitt, the city has announced plans to bring ferry service back to the People's Playground, the Post reports. The city will use $3.2 million of federal transportation funds to study the feasibility of commuter ferry service from three possible dock locations: West Eighth Street near the New York Aquarium, the existing Steeplechase Pier near KeySpan Park, and in Coney Island Creek. more ›

Just months after the city announced a far-reaching proposal to expand ferry service and subsidize boat operators until 2010, it looks like the plan has run aground again. Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi, told the Times that he has not been able to reach an agreement with the city about continuing a much-needed $900,000 per year subsidy. Without the government cash, which keeps him afloat during the winter when ridership plummets by 50 percent, he says he might be forced to cancel East River ferry service for the third time in four years. more ›

Brooklynites rejoice: the new free ferry between your borough and Governors Island, that has been in the works for over a year, will be in operation come June 6th. Lost City points to a letter sent out by State Senator Daniel Squadron, stating he'll be on the inaugural launch this Saturday at 11 a.m. "The ferry will leave Fulton Ferry Landing every hour, every Saturday when there is programming scheduled for Governors Island. It will stop at Governor's Island and Battery Park in Manhattan." So it should be smooth sailing for Brooklynites who wants to attend this year's Figment extravaganza, which takes place on the weekend of June 12th and will include the unveiling the new mini golf course. And don't forget about all the other events the island has to offer this summer, including a new Water Taxi Beach of its own (opening on July 4th). more ›

When US Airways Flight 1549 crash- (or splash-) landed in the Hudson River on January 15, the first boats to arrive and offer help were NY Waterway ferries, which ultimately took 142 of the 155 passengers and crew from the cold water. Now, the ferry company says it may go bankrupt by the end of the year. And, Crain's reports, "Its situation is so precarious that the company is preparing a lawsuit against US Airways to recoup the expenses it incurred during the rescue effort." more ›

Soon, we'll all be living like pirates. The NY Times jumps into the latest trend of city residents living on boats...actually, they did that earlier this year, but those suckers paid to live on a boat. The newest crop of sea dwellers are l-i-v-i-n for free. The paper describes the 6,000 square-feet of space, which boasts 15-foot ceilings, views of the Manhattan skyline, giant roofdecks and no neighbors (and yes, there's internet). Don't worry, there's a downside (or seven), including no insulation, no mail delivery, no shower, and a few more missing luxuries. What is this real estate find exactly?

This particular residence once served as a 650-passenger ferry shuttling people between Martha’s Vineyard and New Bedford, Mass., for $17 round-trip. Since March 2007, the ship, now moored in a spot about a 10-minute boat ride from Midtown, has become home for a small group of secretive and resourceful people looking for an inexpensive, unorthodox place to stay.

If you thought your commute was rigorous, check this out: NYC school teacher Sean Patch commutes from NJ to Manhattan via kayak. Patch explained to WCBS880 that taking the ferry was expensive, so now he kayaks across the Hudson, radioing ferries to let them know he's there and navigating around other vessels, like oil tankers. The algebra teacher incorporates his unconventional commute into his class: "Mr. Patch kayaks to work. He bought the kayak for $850. He no longer has to pay for the ferry $7.75 each way. How much has he saved?" And FYI, the Downtown Boathouse offers winter kayaking classes in the Riverbank State Park swimming pool. more ›

Last night the Community Board 1 held a meeting which doubled as an awards ceremony for the SI Ferry workers who saved Hannah Upp. The teacher who went missing from August 29th to September 16th was eventually found floating in the New York Harbor by the ferry workers, and last night she went to honor them herself. During her surprise appearance, she told the SI Advance, "The evening is really about them. I am recovering and grateful for all the support." She was last heard from earlier this month when she updated her Facebook status. Upp also privately visited the men last week, and one of them, Captain Covella, said last night that he "was honored that God chose me and my crew to fulfill their prayers." more ›

Well, we had a good run. Brooklyn commuters who've been enjoying a free ride on the IKEA Water Taxi that runs between Red Hook and Wall Street are going to have to make some adjustments: The Swedish retailer will be reducing hours on the service, which since June has been running every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Starting October 1st, the boat will run every 40 minutes, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. more ›

The ferries to Fire Island are seeking an immediate fare increase that would raise the cost up to 25 percent, raising one-way fares from $8 to $10, and round-trip from $15 to $18. Newsday reports that ferry reps of the "Fire Island Ferries Inc. of Bay Shore and the Davis Park Ferry Co. of Patchogue told county legislators this week that they will lose more than $150,000 each this year and will need the fare hikes to avoid doing the same next summer." To counter that, a rep from the Legislature's Budget Review Office claims the ferries made more than $1 million in 2007, thanks in part to a previous fare increase of 10%, and is suggesting another hike not be granted before the end of September. In order to raise the fares the private ferry companies will need the county's approval first. more ›

The free coach style shuttle buses that deliver riders from two Brooklyn subway stops to the new Red Hook IKEA are filling up with passengers who never set foot inside the Swedish retailer. "I'd say before one o'clock, about half the riders from Smith and Ninth Street don't even go into IKEA," one bus driver told the Daily News, adding that many riders are going to a local methodone clinic for treatment. And, as predicted, freeloaders are pulling the same move with the free Water Taxi between IKEA and lower Manhattan, an area also renowned for its methadone. more ›