NYC Ferry carried 7.4 million passenger trips in FY2025, while the city subsidised each trip by an average of $8.33 across six routes serving all five boroughs

New York City’s ferry network has become a popular alternative to busy roads and underground trains, connecting waterfront neighbourhoods with employment centres and attractions across the city. Its boats carry commuters, students and visitors along the East River, Hudson River and New York Harbour, offering views of the skyline alongside a practical transport service. According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s fiscal year 2025 financial report, NYC Ferry carried approximately 7.4 million passenger trips, while the city’s operating subsidy averaged $8.33 per trip. The latest figures show that ridership increased from 7.12 million trips in FY2024 to nearly 7.40 million in FY2025, while the subsidy per trip declined.

Six routes connect the city’s five boroughs

The NYC Ferry service was launched in 2017 and grew into a network linking communities on the waterfront of New York City. It currently has six routes that link Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island in a network that has 25 landings and 38 vessels and covers more than 70 nautical miles. NYC Ferry offers an option for residents who have difficulty reaching workplaces, schools and leisure destinations by road or rail. The ridership of the service has steadily grown since the pandemic period. NYCEDC registered approximately 6.61 million trips in FY2023, 7.12 million in FY2024 and 7.40 million in FY2025. This figure set an annual record and suggested the ferry had recovered from the pandemic-era drop in ridership.


The network also serves seasonal and discounted-fare riders. Seasonal services such as the Rockaway Rocket provide additional connections to Queens beaches, while the Rockaway Reserve allows passengers to reserve seats on selected journeys. NYCEDC has also expanded discounted fares for eligible students, older people, passengers with disabilities and participants in the Fair Fares NYC programme.

Why taxpayers continue to fund each journey

Notwithstanding rising demand, passenger fares do not cover all the costs of operating NYC Ferry. NYCEDC’s Supplemental Financial Information for FY2021–FY2025records that the subsidy per passenger trip stood at $10.24 in FY2021, fell to $8.55 in FY2023, rose to $9.09 in FY2024 and then declined to $8.33 in FY2025. The latest figure was the lowest recorded since FY2019, the earliest year shown in the report. The decline reflected higher ridership, increased farebox revenue and lower operating expenses per trip, alongside a new five-year operating agreement that NYCEDC entered into in FY2024. In FY2025, NYC Ferry carried about 7.4 million passenger trips, while farebox revenue per trip rose to $3.42 from $3.23 in FY2024. As a result, the farebox recovery ratio increased from 25.8% to 28.7%, meaning passenger fares covered a larger share of the system’s operating expenses.

Balancing affordability with the cost of service

A 2025 paper in Regional Science and Urban Economics examined the employment and commuting effects of New York City’s ferry expansion. It found that new ferry connections increased commuting flows between connected neighbourhoods, although the direct benefits were concentrated among middle- and higher-income workers. That finding raises a broader question for city planners: how can a relatively expensive transport service deliver wider public benefits while remaining accessible to people across income groups?

NYCEDC’s approach to the problem has been to make operational and revenue collection changes and sponsorships in lieu of increasing fares. The “Ferry Forward” plan seeks to boost ridership while at the same time reducing the cost of public subsidisation per ride. Route changes have also been recommended to cut down travel times and minimise underperforming services. More than a million rides per year show that the ferry has managed to carve out a niche in the transportation system, yet increased ridership does not solve the problem of subsidisation.