Staten Island ferry - Wikipedia Staten Island ferry For the cocktail, see Staten Island Ferry ( cocktail ). Staten Island Ferry Locale Staten Island and Manhattan, New York City Waterway Upper New York Bay Transit type Passenger ferry Operator New York City Department of Transportation Began operation 1817 System length 5.2 mi ( 8.4 km ) No. of lines No. of vessels 8 No. of terminals 2 ( Whitehall, St. George ) Daily ridership approximately 70,000 per weekday ( 2016 ) The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. It runs 5.2 miles ( 8.4 km ) in New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island. The ferry operates 24 / 7, running every 15 to 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes at other times. Since 1997, the Staten Island Ferry has been fare - free, though historically, it has charged a relatively low fare compared to other modes of transit in the area. The Staten Island Ferry is one of several ferry systems in the New York City area, besides NYC Ferry, New York Water Taxi, and NY Waterway. The Staten Island Ferry operates between Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan and St. George Terminal in St. George, Staten Island. At Whitehall Street, connections are available to the New York City Subway and several local New York City Bus routes. On the other end, passengers can take the Staten Island Railway, the only rapid transit service on the island, or one of many buses available at the St. George Bus Terminal, the main bus terminal on the island. The Staten Island Ferry was formed in 1817 when the Richmond Turnpike Company started a steamboat service from Manhattan to Staten Island. Cornelius Vanderbilt bought the company in 1838, and it was merged with two competitors ' companies in 1853. That company was in turn sold to the Staten Island Railroad Company in 1864. The Staten Island Ferry was then sold to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1884, and the City of New York assumed control of the ferry in 1905, buying five new ships for the service. Other ferries from Staten Island to Brooklyn were created in the early 20th century but were decommissioned by the mid-1960s. The ferry was at one point the only commuter ferry within the entire city, after the discontinuation of a ferry from Manhattan to Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1967. A fast ferry route from Staten Island to Midtown Manhattan ran briefly from 1997 to 1998, with proposals to revive the route resurfacing in the 2010s. The Staten Island Ferry remains popular due to the lack of transit connections between Staten Island and the other boroughs, including Manhattan. With 23.9 million riders as of fiscal year 2016, the Staten Island Ferry is the single busiest ferry route in the United States as of 2016, as well as the world 's busiest passenger - only ferry system. Contents 1 History 1.1 Predecessors 1.2 Early years 1.3 City ownership and other ferries 2 Operations 2.1 Route 2.2 Terminals 2.2. 1 Whitehall Terminal 2.2. 2 St. George Terminal 2.3 Fares 2.4 Ridership 3 Fleet 3.1 Current 3.1. 1 Kennedy class 3.1. 2 Barberi class 3.1. 3 Austen class 3.1. 4 Molinari class 3.2 Future 3.3 Former 3.3. 1 Out - of - service 4 Incidents 5 See also 6 References 7 External links History A Kennedy class ferry on its way to Staten Island Predecessors Before the New York City area was colonized, the indigenous Lenape Native Americans traversed the area 's waterways using boat, traveling from Staten Island to present - day Manhattan and New Jersey. The area was then known as Lenapehoking, and the Lenape traveled along nearby waterways such as Arthur Kill, Kill Van Kull, and Raritan Bay. In the 18th century, ferry service between Staten Island and the city of New York, then occupying only the southern tip of Manhattan, was conducted by private individuals with `` periaugers ''. These shallow - draft, two - masted sailboats, used for local traffic in New York Harbor, were also used for other transport in the area. Early years Cornelius Vanderbilt, an entrepreneur from Stapleton, Staten Island, who would become one of the world 's richest people, started a ferry from Staten Island to Manhattan in 1810. Cornelius was 16 years old at the time and had sailed extensively enough in his father 's periauger that he could easily navigate the New York Harbor Estuary on his own. He earned $100 for his birthday in May 1810, which he used to purchase a periauger called the Swiftsure that he then used to transport passengers from Staten Island to the Battery at Manhattan 's tup. Vanderbilt competed against other boatmen providing service in the harbor, who jokingly called `` Commodore '' because of his youthful eagerness ; that nickname applied to him for the rest of his life. After the War of 1812 limited access to New York Harbor from elsewhere along the East Coast, Vanderbilt made profits from carrying cargo along the Hudson River ; he bought extra boats with these profits. After the war, he transported cargo in the harbor, earning even more money and buying more boats. Also during the War of 1812, U.S. Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins secured a charter for the Richmond Turnpike Company as part of his efforts to develop the village of Tompkinsville, which would become Staten Island 's first European settlement. The company was incorporated in 1815, and Tompkinsville was created in 1816. Though the company built a highway across Staten Island, it also received the right to run a ferry to New York. The Richmond Turnpike Company began to run the first motorized ferry between New York and Staten Island in 1817. The Nautilus was commanded by Captain John DeForest, the brother - in - law of Cornelius Vanderbilt. This new ferry broke the short monopoly on steamboat operations that the Fulton Ferry from Manhattan to Brooklyn had held since its opening in 1814. As a direct result of the steamboat route 's inauguration, Vanderbilt sold all his schooners to his father in 1818, since the steamboats provided much faster means of transportation across the harbor. He subsequently started working for Thomas Gibbons, a small - steamboat operator, operating steamboat lines for Gibbons in New Jersey before later operating his own lines in New York. When Tompkins died in 1825, the company 's stocks were put in a trust at at the Fulton Bank in lower Manhattan. As per an act passed in 1824, the bank was to be incorporated only if it also accepted the Richmond Turnpike Company 's stock, and if the company were to end operations in 1844. Vanderbilt, who had grown wealthy in the steamboat business in New York waters, bought control of the Richmond Turnpike Company in 1838. The company 's original charter expired in 1844, and Vanderbilt transferred the former company 's leases and titles to himself and the company 's other chief officer, Oroondates Mauran, as private citizens rather than as chief officers. Vanderbilt bought Mauran 's share of the company upon the latter 's death in 1848. By the mid-18th century, there were three separate ferry companies offering services between lower Manhattan and the eastern shore of Staten Island. The Tompkins and Staples Ferry, operated by Vice President Tompkins 's son Minthorne, ran from a pier at the Tompkinsville end of the highway to Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan. The New York and Staten Island Steam Ferry Company, or `` People 's Ferry '', was operated by George Law and ran from Stapleton, Staten Island, to Liberty Street, Manhattan. Finally, the Richmond Turnpike Ferry, also the `` Staten Island Ferry '', ran from Vanderbilt 's Landing, on Clifton, Staten Island, to Manhattan. All of these companies merged in 1853 after Vanderbilt, who was focused on business ventures elsewhere, convinced Law and Tompkins to buy out his ferry company for $600,000. Vanderbilt remained a dominant figure in the ferry until the Civil War in the early 1860s. The combined company, the Staten Island and New York Ferry Company, ran services from Whitehall Street to Tompkinsville, Stapleton, and Clifton. It originally ran single - ended boats but eventually expanded its fleet to include double - ended boats. To accommodate growing ridership, three double - ended boats ( Southfield I, Westfield I, and Clifton I ) were purchased for the Richmond Turnpike Ferry in the 1850s, and another three ( Westfield II, Southfield II, and Middletown ) were obtained in the 1860s. Clifton I and Westfield I were purchased by the Union Army in 1861, who used the ships as blockades against the Confederate Army during the Civil War. The Staten Island Railway opened in stages in 1860. It was necessary to have a direct connection between the new railroad trains and the infrequent ferries to and from Manhattan, but this turned out to be difficult during the beginning of operation. The ferries serving Vanderbilt 's Landing were owned by George Law, who operated the rival New York and Staten Island Steam Ferry. Afterwards, Vanderbilt tried to operate a ferry service between Manhattan and Staten Island that would compete with the ferry service owned by Law. Vanderbilt started construction on his plan for a central dock on the island, but he abandoned the scheme after a storm destroyed the timber work. Only the large stone foundation remained ; this was still visible in 1900 at low tide. A long franchise battle ensued, resulting in Vanderbilt selling his ferry service to Law in 1862. Vanderbilt subsequently lost interest in the transit operations on Staten Island and he handed the operations of the ferry and railroad over to his brother, Jacob Vanderbilt, who was the president of the company until 1883. In March 1864, Vanderbilt bought Law 's ferries, bringing both the railroad and the ferries under the same company. The railway assumed the Staten Island and New York Ferry Company 's operations in 1865. Westfield disaster, an 1871 wood engraving On the afternoon of July 30, 1871, the Staten Island Railway Ferry - owned ferryboat Westfield I was damaged when its boiler exploded while sitting in its slip at South Ferry. Within days of the disaster, between 45 and 91 were identified as dead, and from 78 to 208 were injured, although figures varied widely between the Times, Herald, Tribune, and World. Jacob Vanderbilt was arrested for murder, though he escaped conviction. This had an adverse effect on the railroad 's finances, and on March 28, 1872, the railway and the ferry went into receivership as a result of the disaster. On September 17, 1872, the property of the company was sold to George Law in foreclosure, with the exception of the ferryboat Westfield II, which was purchased by Horace Theall. Erastus Wiman, a Canadian enterpreneur who had become one of Staten Island 's most notable figures since moving to New York in 1867, planned to develop Staten Island by adding transit. Wiman built an amusement area on the island to help develop it. He incorporated the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railroad Company on March 25, 1880, and the incorporation of the company was made official on April 14, 1880. Two years later, Wiman applied to build a ferry dock in Manhattan in order to serve his new ferry routes. Also among Wiman 's proposals was combining the six to eight separate ferry operations into one terminal. This became the St. George ferry landing, which opened in March 1886. On April 3, 1883, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railroad Company gained control of the Staten Island Railway and its boats. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad ( B&O ) obtained control of the Staten Island Railway Ferry Company 's operations the next year. A controlling interest in the Railway Ferry Company was obtained by the B&O in 1885 through purchases of stock. On November 21, 1885, Robert Garrett, President of the B&O, leased the Railway Ferry Company to the B&O for 99 years. The B&O could now provide service to a ferry terminal that was closer to Manhattan public transit. Rather than having passengers transfer to the Central Railroad of New Jersey ( CNJ ) 's ferries from the Jersey City Terminal to the Liberty Street Ferry Terminal in Manhattan, which was not close to any elevated rail stations in the area, the B&O could now operate to the Whitehall Street terminal, where there was a direct transfer to an elevated station. Garrett resigned from his position at the B&O in 1887, and his successors did not show as much interest in Staten Island transit operations. Wiman lost a lot of money in the Panic of 1893, and two years later, much of his property was auctioned to pay off debts. In 1893, the B&O commenced plans to divert some CNJ ferries from Jersey City to Whitehall Street, with the latter ordering the Easton and Mauch Chunk ferries for the Whitehall Street service. The boats started service in 1897. Construction of a new ferry terminal at St. George commenced in 1895. In 1899, the Pennsylvania Railroad ( PRR ) and the New York Central Railroad ( NYCRR ) formed a partnership in which they were to buy smaller freight railroad companies. PRR president Alexander Cassatt devised the plan because he thought that two large freight - shipping companies, Standard Oil and Carnegie Steel, were artificially depressing freight - shipping rates by cajoling smaller companies for rebates. Among the PRR 's acquisitions was the B&O, which in turn owned the Staten Island Railway and Ferry. Cassatt started buying B&O stock in 1899 and owned much of the B&O stock two years later. City ownership and other ferries On June 14, 1901, the ferryboat Northfield II was leaving the ferry port at Whitehall when it was struck by CNJ ferry Mauch Chunk. Damaged beyond repair, Northfield II sank immediately. Out of 995 passengers aboard, only four or five were killed. An investigation into the crash found that Northfield II had sunk because of the extent of the damage rather than because of its 38 - year age. Shortly after, the government of New York City made a series of decisions announcing its intent to acquire ownership of the ferry. The Sinking Fund Commission decided in 1903 that the city could acquire the Staten Island ferry route in 1903. The city would pay $3.2 million to take over operations of the ferry, including $2 million for five new screw - propelled ships. From 1902 to 1903, there were debates on where to put the new Whitehall terminal ; the location at Whitehall Street was decided as the best location. The locations of the Staten Island terminal were also debated, with the terminal proposed to be built in West Brighton, Tompkinsville, Stapleton, and Port Richmond. In 1904, after the Staten Island Railway Company refused the city 's offer of $500,000 for the two terminals, the city started a process to condemn the land around the terminals. The B&O 's access to the Whitehall Street terminal was revoked on October 25, 1905. The city 's Department of Docks and Ferries assumed ownership of the ferry and terminals. A new St. George Terminal was then built by the city for $2,318,720. The city acquired five boats from the B&O operation. The five new ships, one named for each of the new boroughs, were commissioned and entered service in 1905. New York City then started operating a line from Battery Park to Stapleton in May 1909. This service ran every 90 minutes between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily. It was discontinued at the end of 1913 due to low ridership. Staten Islanders protested against the city 's discontinuance of the Stapleton ferry, to no avail. Former pier for 69th Street ferry service A ferry service from St. George to 39th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, became city - operated in 1906. A second route from St. George to Brooklyn, was created on July 4, 1912, with the Brooklyn & Richmond Ferry Company providing service to 69th Street in Bay Ridge. This service was infrequent, and in March 1924, New York City Plant and Structures Commissioner Grover A. Whalen suggested that the 69th Street service be placed under city operation. In June 1924, the route to 39th Street was taken over by the New York Bay Ferry. By the end of that summer, the three ferry routes were advertised as the most convenient way to get to Staten Island until a tunnel between Staten Island and Brooklyn could be completed. The Bay Ridge operation was taken over by the Electric Ferries company in 1939. In 1940, the Brooklyn & Richmond Ferry Company asked the city to stop its municipal operation to 39th Street so the 69th Street ferry could carry all Staten Island - to - Brooklyn traffic, thus enabling them to lower rates. The 39th Street ferry was suspended in June 1946 after a fire destroyed the Whitehall ferry slips at St. George, which forced the Whitehall ferries to stop at the slips formerly used by the 39th Street ferry. The suspension of ferry service was supposed to be temporary, but even after a year had elapsed, merchants at Brooklyn 's Bush Terminal near 39th Street were petitioning the city to resume service. However, this service was apparently never restored. Around this time, ferry services in the area were being discontinued and replaced by bridges and tunnels, leading to the eventual demise of the 69th Street ferry. The exception was the ferry directly from Manhattan to Staten Island, which was not expected to see a significant decrease in ridership because it provided the only direct link between the two boroughs. Electric Ferries ' franchise expired on March 31, 1954, and the city contracted the 69th Street ferry 's operation to Henry Shanks in order to keep the ferry running. The 69th Street ferry ceased operation in 1964 due to the opening of the Verrazano - Narrows Bridge a short distance south. At the time of discontinuation, 7,000 daily passengers paid five cents each to cross, while 8,000 vehicles per day paid a toll of 75 cents to use the ferry. Each boat could fit from 500 to 750 passengers as well as 42 vehicles, which caused traffic jams at both of the ferry 's slips due to the boats ' low capacity. However, the route between St. George and Whitehall Streets was kept since the bridge 's opening was expected to spur an influx of residents to Staten Island, potentially increasing ridership on the ferry to Manhattan. By 1967, all other ferries in New York City had closed due to competition by automobile traffic, and the St. George to Whitehall route was the only ferry in the city. It remained as such until the 1980s, when other ferry routes were restarted. Off - peak service was reduced in 1967, but two months later that service was restored. However, due to the city 's mid-1970s financial crisis, night service ended on July 1, 1975, with alternate service being provided by the Fourth Avenue subway. Night service was restored in the 1980s after two boats, comprising the current Austen class, were ordered specifically for overnight voyages. These boats entered service in 1986. A Staten Island ferryboat in the Upper New York Bay By the late 1980s, ferries had again become a popular mode of transport in the area. In 1991, seventy companies expressed interest in bidding for the rights to operate new ferries across the city. This list of potential bidders was reduced to three companies by 1993. One of these ferries was to be a ferry from Staten Island to midtown Manhattan ; this new ferry would travel at top speeds of 35 knots ( 65 km / h ; 40 mph ) as opposed to the existing Whitehall - to - St. George ferry 's 15 knots ( 28 km / h ; 17 mph ). New York Fast Ferry was ultimately selected to run a ferry from St. George to East 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, starting service in January 1997 with about 1,650 commuters a day using the service. However, in July of that year, the fare was eliminated on the ferry between St. George and Whitehall Street. This allowed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ( MTA ) to institute a `` one - city, one - fare '' transfer scheme, where Staten Island transit riders could pay a single $1.50 fare with a MetroCard on a Staten Island bus or train and get a free transfer to a Manhattan bus or subway by taking the free St. George -- Whitehall ferry, or vice versa. This decreased daily ridership on the $5 - per - ticket Midtown ferry to 400 passengers, and as a result, New York Fast Ferry was unable to make a profit on the Midtown ferry route. New York Fast Ferry went out of business at the end of 1997, at which point NY Waterway took over the route. After NY Waterway failed to break even on the Midtown route, it was eliminated on July 31, 1998. Immediately after the September 11, 2001, attacks, the ferry was used to evacuate victims of the attacks at the World Trade Center before being temporarily closed for a week. Ferry service was restored by September 18. When it reopened, some ferries were diverted to Bay Ridge due to subway and road closures across the East River. This continued into 2002, with some 2,200 passengers per day using the ferry even though the subways and highways had been reopened. Also in 2002, the city proposed eliminating night service again and outsourcing nighttime operations to other ferry companies in the area. In 2003, both terminals ' lower levels were closed and all vehicular traffic on the ferry was banned due to the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. Under this act, passengers would have to board and depart from different sections of the ferry, and since the lower levels of each ferry were used for departing, they could not be used for boarding. This made boarding the ferry inconvenient for park - and - ride users at the St. George Terminal. The lower levels of each terminal were reopened in 2017 to reduce passenger crowding on the ships ' upper levels. The St. George Terminal 's lower level was opened during morning rush, and the Whitehall Terminal 's lower level was opened during middays and the evening rush. Night and weekend service was increased in 2004 due to growing ridership during these times. Before the 2004 increase in night service, boats only ran once an hour between midnight and 7 a.m. The ferry had not added more trips during nights and weekends even though Staten Island 's population had increased since 1990. In November 2006, additional ferries running every 30 minutes were provided during the weekend morning hours. In 2015, weekend - morning and late - night frequencies were increased to every thirty minutes. In 2013, city councilman James Oddo advocated for a revival of fast ferry service to Staten Island as part of his campaign to become that borough 's president. After Oddo 's election as borough president, he pushed New York City mayor Bill de Blasio to consider a Staten Island fast ferry as part of de Blasio 's proposed Citywide Ferry Service ( later renamed NYC Ferry ). At the time, the new system 's only proposed ferry stop on Staten Island was at Stapleton, which was already well - served by the Whitehall -- St. George route ; the transit - deprived South Shore was not planned to be served by the citywide ferry. Later, the citywide ferry 's Stapleton route was relegated to an unfunded plan, leaving Staten Island with no stops on the new system. With the opening of NYC Ferry in 2017, politicians and Staten Island residents again advocated bringing more ferry service to Staten Island, including one ferry each to Manhattan and Brooklyn ; a stop on the South Shore ; and extra stops on the Whitehall -- St. George ferry. In April 2017, Oddo announced a tentative agreement with NY Waterway to possibly implement a fast route from St. George to Midtown Manhattan in 2018. The ferry would go to West Midtown Ferry Terminal as opposed to East 34th Street. Unlike NYC Ferry, the Staten Island - to - Midtown route would not receive any per - passenger subsidies from the city. In September 2017, private developers on the South Shore also negotiated with SeaStreak to run a separate fast ferry route from the South Shore to Lower Manhattan. Operations Service is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year along its 5.2 - mile ( 8.4 km ) run. which carried 23.9 million passengers in fiscal year 2016. While trips take 25 minutes, service usually runs every 30 minutes most hours of the day and night, with more frequent service during peak times. The Staten Island Ferry is administered separately from NYC Ferry. Route The route of the Staten Island Ferry across Upper New York Bay is shown in yellow on a TERRA satellite photo of New York Harbor The ferry 's single route departs Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal at South Ferry, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near the Battery. On Staten Island, the ferry arrives and departs from the St. George Ferry Terminal on Richmond Terrace, near Richmond County 's Borough Hall and Supreme Court. The ferry ride provides views of the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty, and as such, is a popular place for film shoots. It is a popular place to go on Saturday nights, as beer and food items are served at the snack bar. In the past, ferries were equipped for vehicle transport, at a charge of $3 per automobile. A vehicle ban was approved in 1992, after the Whitehall Terminal was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt without vehicle loading areas, but the September 11 attacks ended vehicle crossings at the temporary terminal as well. It has been proposed to bring car boarding back due to rising tolls on the Verrazano Bridge, but the plan was seen as unlikely due to the amount of effort needed to screen every car. While the ferries no longer transport motor vehicles, they do transport bicycles. There are two bicycle entrances to the ferry from either borough. The bike entrance is always on the first floor so bicyclists can enter the ferry from the ground without needing to enter the building. The ground entrance is also reserved exclusively for bike riders ( everyone else must use the 2nd floor entrance ). Cyclists must dismount and walk their bicycles to the waiting area and onto the boat and bicycles must be stored in the designated bicycle storage area on each boat. Cyclists are subject to screening upon arrival at the ferry terminals. Bicycles may also be taken on the lowest deck of the ferry without charge. During rush hours, ferries usually run at 15 - to - 20 - minute intervals, decreasing to 30 minutes during the mid-days and evenings. For a few hours during the early morning, usually 12 a.m. to 6 a, m., a ferry is provided once every 30 minutes. During the weekends ferries run every 30 minutes. Terminals Whitehall terminal Main article : Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal The Staten Island Ferry Terminal, located in Lower Manhattan There have been at least two terminals on the site of the current terminal. When the original Whitehall Terminal opened in 1903, its Beaux - Arts design was identical to the Battery Maritime Building, which still exists. A fire at the South Ferry elevated station in 1919 damaged the building. A $3 million renovation to the terminal was announced in 1953, and it opened on July 24, 1956. The old terminal burned down in a fire on September 8, 1991. A new design was announced the next year, while a temporary terminal was opened at the site to accommodate passengers in the meantime. On February 7, 2005, a completely renovated and modernized terminal, designed by architect Frederic Schwartz, was dedicated, along with the new two - acre Peter Minuit Plaza in the Battery. The terminal contains connections to the New York City Subway 's South Ferry / Whitehall Street station complex, as well as to buses and taxis. A `` gateway to the city '', set against the backdrop of Manhattan 's greatest buildings on one side and the river on the other, the design was created to imbue the terminal `` with a strong sense of civic presence '' In his remarks at the terminal 's dedication, Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated that `` You can walk into this spectacular terminal day or night and feel like you 're part of the city... ( the terminal ) is a continuation of what you feel on the ferry... in a sense you are suspended over the water. '' Described as `` an elegant addition to ( the ) city 's architecture, '' the transit hub was described by a Newsday editor as so beautiful that it had become a tourist attraction in its own right. St. George terminal The St. George Terminal on Staten Island Main article : St. George Terminal § Staten Island Ferry A new ferry and rail terminal at St. George 's Landing and an extension of the Staten Island Railway north from Vanderbilt 's Landing had been proposed in the 1870s by the owners of the railroad ( George Law, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Erastus Wiman ) to replace the various ferry sites on the north and east shores Staten Island. St. George was selected due to it being the closest point from Staten Island to Manhattan, approximately a 5 miles ( 8.0 km ) distance. The name of the terminal and the local neighborhood were renamed to St. George in honor of Law, allegedly as a concession by Wiman in order to build the terminal and connecting tunnel on land owned by Law. The ferry terminal was opened in early 1886. On June 25, 1946, a large fire destroyed both the wooden ferry and rail terminals, killing 3 people and injuring more than 200. Full service was restored in July of that year. A new facility was built by the city, opening on June 8, 1951. The new facility cost $21 million. It received renovations in the 2000s as part of a $300 million renovation of several ferry terminals in the area, including the St. George and Whitehall Terminals. As of 2013, St. George 's direct rail - sea connection is one of a few left in the United States. Fares The ferry is free of charge, though riders must disembark at each terminal and reenter through the terminal building for a round trip to comply with Coast Guard regulations regarding vessel capacity. The turnstiles were dismantled when fares were removed in 1997, so there is no official way to count the number of passengers aboard the ferry, though the crew of each boat can estimate the number of passengers aboard the vessel. The state 's per - passenger expenditure in 2012 was $4.86, paid for through taxes. This subsidy rose to $5.87 in 2016 before dropping to $5.16 in 2017. For comparison, the city 's per - passenger subsidy for NYC Ferry in 2017 was $6.50, calculated after all passengers had paid their $2.75 fare. For most of the 20th century, the ferry was famed as the biggest bargain in New York City, as it charged the same one - nickel fare as the New York City Subway. In 1882, riders protested against a proposed fare increase to 10 cents per ride, but were unsuccessful in obtaining a fare reduction. The fare - reduction movement resurfaced in 1894, with multiple petitions being submitted to the New - York Sinking Fund Commissioners. However, these petitions were all denied. By 1898, the fare had been reduced to a nickel, or five cents. The ferry fare remained a nickel when the subway fare increased to 10 cents in 1948. Despite the ferry 's growing operational shortfalls in the 1950s, the five - cent fare remained static regardless of inflation. By 1968, the Citizens Budget Commission was proposing to hike fares to close the deficits, with Staten Island commuters paying 20 cents and others paying 50 cents for a one - way trip. In May 1970, then - Mayor John V. Lindsay proposed that the fare be raised to 25 cents, pointing out that the cost for each ride was 50 cents, or ten times what the fare brought in. As part of a city budget passed in June of that year, the nickel fare was kept. Due to the city 's financial crisis in the mid-1970s, Mayor Abraham Beame submitted a proposal to increase the fare in July 1975. On August 4, 1975, the nickel fare ended and the charge became 25 cents for a round trip, with the quarter being collected in one direction only. The fare increase was intended to earn the ferry service an extra $1.35 million in annual revenue. In 1990 the charge for a round trip was increased to 50 cents, provoking a backlash among Staten Islanders, and sparking calls for its complete abolition. Grievances over the fare partly contributed to Staten Island voting in 1993 to secede from New York City in a non-binding referendum. Rudy Giuliani 's three - percent margin of victory in the concurrent mayoral elections was in considerable part due to the support of 80 % of Staten Island voters, whose concerns he had pledged to address. The passenger fare was subsequently eliminated altogether in July 1997 as part of the implementation of the MTA 's `` one - city, one - fare '' system, which allowed for more free transfers between different modes of transit in New York City. The separate $3 car fares were unaffected. The new MetroCard had been configured to allow one free transfer between buses and subways or other buses within 2 hours of the first payment, and eliminating the ferry fare was seen as an action to equalize Staten Islanders ' MetroCard fares with those of commuters in other boroughs. Despite the fact that the ferry fare had netted $6 million in annual revenue for the city, its abolition only cost the city about $1 million, due to the savings from removing the turnstiles as well as the revenue from MetroCard fares. Some riders disliked the removal of the fares, as they felt that free service might result in lower - quality rides. In 2014, the city 's Independent Budget Office conducted a study investigating the viability of charging fares to everyone except Staten Island residents. The study found that a $4 charge to these passengers would garner $35.5 million in fifteen years, while a $2 fare would bring in only $804,000 during the same time. Approximately 4 million annual passengers would be subject to the fare, based on the 2013 ridership figure of 21.9 million. Ridership Ridership Fiscal Years 2007 -- 2016 Fiscal Year Ridership ( millions ) Ref. 2007 18.953 2008 19.757 2009 20.118 21.464 2011 21.404 2012 22.178 2013 21.399 2014 21.256 2015 21.9 2016 23.9 Detailed ridership figures for many fiscal years are not widely available. A 1958 New York Times article cited a figure of 24 million annual riders. Ridership on the ferry peaked in 1964, with 27.5 million passengers, but the figure dropped by five million in 1965 after the Verrazano - Narrows Bridge opened. In the early 2000s, ridership fluctuated around 18 or 19 million, rising to 21.8 million in 2006 before dropping to 18.5 million the next year. Afterward, ridership started rising again, reaching over 21 million in fiscal year 2011. In fiscal 2012, the ferry carried 22.18 million passengers, the highest figure in several decades. The figure in fiscal 2013 declined slightly to 21.4 million and ridership for fiscal 2014 declined again to 21.25 million, while ridership on private ferry service continuously increased during that time period. Ridership then began rising in subsequent years, especially after the 2015 expansion of service frequencies, when ridership reached 21.9 million. In fiscal 2016, ridership on the ferry increased to 23.1 million passengers, and in fiscal 2017, ridership increased further to 23.9 million passengers, breaking the previous year 's record. The Staten Island Ferry is the single busiest ferry route in the United States as of 2016, as well as the world 's busiest passenger - only ferry. However, it is not the busiest ferry system in the United States overall ; that distinction is held by Washington State Ferries, which carried 24.2 million passengers in 2016, compared to Staten Island Ferry 's 23.9 million in fiscal 2017. Fleet Current There are eight ferry boats in four classes ( the Kennedy, Barberi, Austen, and Molinari classes ) that are currently in service. Kennedy class The John F. Kennedy class boat of the Staten Island Ferry The MV John F. Kennedy, the MV American Legion, and the MV Governor Herbert H. Lehman, known as the `` Kennedy class '', were built in 1965. Each boat can carry 3,055 passengers and up to 40 vehicles, is 297 feet ( 91 m ) long, 69 feet 10 inches ( 21.29 m ) wide, with a draft of 13 feet 6 inches ( 4.11 m ), tonnage of 2,109 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots ( 30 km / h ), and engines of 6,500 horsepower ( 4.8 MW ). These boats have a crew of 15 each. They were built by the Levingston Shipbuilding Company in Orange, Texas. The American Legion 's inspection certificate lapsed in 2006, and it was retired with the acquisition of the Molinari class ferries. The Herbert H. Lehman retired on June 30, 2007, after the 10 : 30 p.m. run from Whitehall Street to St. George. The John F. Kennedy remains in regular service as of 2017, as captains considered the John F. Kennedy to be the most reliable vessel in the fleet, and riders preferred its abundant open - air deck space. Barberi class The Samuel I. Newhouse, one of two Barberi class ferryboats in the fleet, crosses Upper New York Bay The MV Andrew J. Barberi and the MV Samuel I. Newhouse, known as the `` Barberi class '', were built in 1981 and 1982 respectively. Each boat carries 6,000 passengers and can not load any cars. The boats are 310 feet ( 94 m ) long, 69 feet 10 inches ( 21.29 m ) wide, with a draft of 13 feet 6 inches ( 4.11 m ), tonnage of 3,335 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots ( 30 km / h ), and engines of 7,000 horsepower ( 5.2 MW ). The boats are each manned by a crew of 15. The Barberi class was made at the Equitable Shipyard in Florida at a cost of $16.5 million each. At the time of construction, the ships ' capacity was the largest of any licensed ferry in the world. The Andrew J. Barberi was named after the longtime coach of Curtis High School 's football team from the 1950s through the 1970s, while the Samuel I. Newhouse was named after the Staten Island Advance 's publisher from 1922 to 1979. Austen class The MV Alice Austen and the MV John A. Noble, known as the `` Austen class '' and commonly referred to as `` the Little Boats '' or `` Mini Barberis '', were built in 1986. Each boat carries 1,280 passengers and also can not load cars. The boats are 207 feet ( 63 m ) long, 40 feet ( 12 m ) wide, with a draft of 8 feet 6 inches ( 2.59 m ), tonnage of 499 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots ( 30 km / h ), and engines of 3,200 horsepower ( 2.4 MW ). There are nine crew members on each boat. Their namesakes are Alice Austen ( 1866 -- 1952 ), a Staten Island photographer, and John A. Noble ( 1913 -- 83 ), a Staten Island marine artist. Austen class vessels usually operate late at night and into the early morning, when ridership is lower. Either the MV Alice Austen or the MV John A. Noble will convert its fuel from low - sulfur diesel to liquefied natural gas ( LNG ) in an effort to halve fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent. Molinari class The passenger space of a Molinari - class ferryboat of the Staten Island Ferry The MV Guy V. Molinari, MV Senator John J. Marchi, and MV Spirit of America, known as the `` Molinari class '', carry a maximum of 4,427 passengers and up to 30 vehicles. Each boat is 310 feet ( 94 m ) long by 70 feet ( 21 m ) wide and has a draft of 13 feet 10 inches ( 4.22 m ), tonnage of 2,794 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots ( 30 km / h ), and engines of 9,000 horsepower ( 6.7 MW ). Built by the Manitowoc Marine Group in Marinette, Wisconsin, they are designed to have a look and ambiance reminiscent of the classic New York ferryboats. One boat is named after Guy V. Molinari, a former member of the United States House of Representatives for Staten Island 's district and later a Borough President of Staten Island. It arrived in September 2004. The second ferry was named for State Senator John Marchi, who represented Staten Island for fifty years. The third ferry, Spirit of America, was to be put into service on October 25, 2005, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the municipal takeover of the Staten Island Ferry from the B&O railroad. Mechanical problems on the Molinari class ferries and legal proceedings kept it sidelined at the Staten Island Ferry 's St. George maintenance facility until its maiden voyage on April 4, 2006. Since delivery, the ferries have been beset by frequent breakdowns, with 58 such incidents from 2008 to 2014 ; almost half of these breakdowns have been on the Guy V. Molinari. Future Main article : Ollis - class ferry The John F. Kennedy, Samuel I. Newhouse, and Andrew J. Barberi are to be replaced in 2019 with three new 310 feet ( 94 m ) vessels, named the Ollis class after US Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis of Staten Island who was killed in action during the War in Afghanistan. Elliott Bay Design devised the plans for the new ferries. As part of the new order, city officials allowed passengers to vote on the types of seats that would be installed in the new fleet. In November 2016, Eastern Shipbuilding was confirmed as the low bidder for constructing the ships, and the shipyard was awarded the contract with a notice to proceed on March 1, 2017. Delivery of the new ships is planned to occur in 2019 and 2020. A petition to name one of the Ollis - class ships after Staten Island firefighter John G. Chipura, who died in the September 11 attacks, reached 11,000 signatures by September 2017. Former Several ferry classes, purchased since the city assumed ownership of the ferry, have been retired. The ferries named after the five boroughs, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Richmond ships, were the first ones commissioned for the city line in 1905. Next to be added were the Mayor Gaynor ( 1914 ), President Roosevelt ( 1922 ), and American Legion ( 1926 ). A subsequent class, delivered from 1929 through 1931, consisted of the Dongan Hills, Tompkinsville, and Knickerbocker in order of delivery. The fourth class, the Miss New York class comprising the Miss New York, Gold Star Mother, and Mary Murray, was delivered in 1938. The last class of steam boats for the current ferry, the Cornelius G. Kolff, Private Joseph F. Merrell, and Verrazzano, went into service in 1951. They were made on Staten Island at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard. Out - of - service In 1943, the Brooklyn was sent to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where it was used as a floating school for the United States Coast Guard. The Gold Star Mother was decomissioned in 1969 to save money before being auctioned off in 1974. Its sister Mary Murray was retired in 1974 and sold at auction. From 1982 through the mid-2000s, it then sat as a floating wreck on the Raritan River within view of the New Jersey Turnpike, and was partially broken up for scrap in 2008. The third sister ship, the Miss New York, was decommissioned in 1975 and auctioned. The Miss New York was used as a restaurant for a while, but then sank. The Verrazzano was decommissioned and sold at auction in the 1980s, with proposals to use the old ferry to a Japanese amusement park. The deal fell through, and it became a floating wreck at the Red Hook Container Terminal. Its two class mates, the Kolff ( later Walter Keane ) and the Merrell ( later the Vernon C. Bain, then the Harold A. Wildstein ) were shipped to Rikers Island in 1987 to deal with prison overcrowding there. The plan was adopted as a feasible interim option while new jail facilities were being built. The Keane and Wildstein, along with the retired British troop carriers Bibby Resolution and Bibby Venture, were used to house 1,000 inmates. The vessels were removed from prison use in 1997, after the Vernon C. Bain floating barge was built, and both vessels were scrapped in 2004. The Kennedy - class Governor Herbert H. Lehman was sold at auction by the city in 2011. By 2012, it was being scrapped at Steelways Shipyard in Newburgh, New York. However, during the scrapping process, the boat started to leak. Incidents A heavy fog across the East Coast on January 16, 1953, caused four ferry accidents in the New York Harbor. One of these accidents was when the Gold Star crashed into the United States Lines freighter American Veteran, injuring 13 people. In another heavy fog four days later, the Joseph F. Merrill crashed into an Ellis Island ferryboat, jolting several passengers but injuring no one. On February 8, 1958, the Dongan Hills was hit by Norwegian tanker Tynefield, injuring 15 people. On November 7, 1978, the American Legion crashed into the concrete seawall near the Statue of Liberty ferry port during a dense fog, injuring 173 people on board. On May 6, 1981, at 7 : 16 am EDT, the American Legion, en route from Staten Island to Manhattan with approximately 2,400 passengers aboard, was rammed in dense fog by the M / V Hoegh Orchid, a Norwegian freighter inbound from sea to a berth in Brooklyn. The ferry boat was damaged from below the main deck up to the bridge deck, and 71 passengers were treated for injuries, three of whom were hospitalized. The absence of a gyrocompass, which could have supplemented existing radar capabilities in helping the ferry master to avoid pending collisions, was noted in the February 2, 1982 report by the National Transportation Safety Board. On July 7, 1986, a mentally ill man, Juan Gonzalez, attacked passengers with a sword on the Samuel I. Newhouse. He killed two and injured nine before being detained and sent to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. On April 12, 1995, the Andrew J. Barberi rammed its slip at St. George due to a mechanical malfunction. The doors on the saloon deck were crushed by the adjustable aprons, which a quick - thinking bridgeman lowered to help stop the oncoming ferryboat. Several people were injured. On September 19, 1997, a car plunged off the John F. Kennedy as it was docking in Staten Island, causing minor injuries to the driver and a deckhand who was knocked overboard. Damage to the Andrew J. Barberi 's interior after the 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash On October 15, 2003, at 3 : 21 pm EDT, the Andrew J. Barberi collided with a pier on the eastern end of the St. George ferry terminal, killing eleven people, seriously injuring many others, and tearing a huge slash through the lowest of the three passenger decks. The incident spurred an investigation into the safety practices being conducted aboard the ferry, as well as an accident investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The Barberi 's captain at the time of the incident was fired, and the Barberi returned to service in 2004. On March 7, 2004, the New York City medical examiner 's office reported that the body of writer and monologist Spalding Gray was discovered by two men and pulled from the East River. It is believed that Gray committed suicide by jumping off the Staten Island Ferry. On July 1, 2009, at 7 : 09 pm EDT, the John J. Marchi lost power and hit a pier at the St. George Terminal at full speed, resulting in 15 minor injuries. The boat was cited as having a history of electrical problems since being put into service in 2005. On May 8, 2010, at 9 : 20 am EDT, the then - recently - rebuilt Andrew J. Barberi hit the dock at the St. George Terminal with 252 passengers aboard. As the ferry approached the dock, the reverse thrust failed to respond and the boat could not slow down. Thirty - seven people were injured. See also Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial Museum, a memorial sculpture commemorating a fake giant - octopus attack on the Staten Island Ferry References ^ Jump up to : `` Mayor 's Management Report Fiscal 2017 '' ( PDF ). nyc.gov. City of New York. September 2017. p. 272. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Rizzi, Nicholas ( June 30, 2017 ). `` 6 Things You Did n't Know About the Staten Island Ferry ''. DNAinfo New York. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. New Jersey Historical Society. 1918. p. 48. ^ Jump up to : Roess, Roger P. ; Sansome, Gene ( 2013 ). The Wheels That Drove New York : A History of the New York City Transit System. Springer. pp. 223 -- 247. ISBN 978 - 3 - 642 - 30484 - 2. Retrieved October 4, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Arthur T. Vanderbilt ( 1989 ). `` Chapter 2 ''. Fortune 's Children. Sphere. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7474 - 0620 - 4. ^ Jump up to : Sherry, Virginia N. ( November 30, 2014 ). `` 13 things to know about Tompkinsville, where European settlers arrived 375 years ago ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Stiles, T.J. ( 2009 ). The First Tycoon : The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375415425. ^ Jump up to : Laws of the State of New York. 1825. p. 147. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Journal of the Senate of the State of New York... 1816. ^ Jump up to : New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission ( September 16, 2008 ). `` TOMPKINSVILLE ( JOSEPH H. LYONS ) POOL '' ( PDF ). nyc.gov. p. 3. ^ Jump up to : Adams, Arthur G. ( 1983 ). The Hudson through the years. Lind Publications. Retrieved September 18, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Cudahy, Brian J. ( 1990 ). Over and Back : The History of Ferryboats in New York Harbor. Fordham Univ Press. ISBN 9780823212453. ^ Jump up to : Davis, William Thompson ( 1907 ). Proceedings. Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences. p. 7. Jump up ^ `` TME ARMY AND NAVY. ; THE PURCHASED FLEET. TROOPS FOR GEN. LANE. INSPECTION OF COL. DOUBLEDAY 'S HEAVY ARTILLERY REGIMENT. ''. The New York Times. 1862. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Cotham Jr., Edward T. ( 2009 ). The Southern Journey of a Civil War Marine : The Illustrated Note - Book of Henry O. Gusley. University of Texas Press. p. 19. ISBN 9780292782457. ^ Jump up to : Leigh, Irvin ; Matus, Paul ( January 2002 ). `` Staten Island Rapid Transit : The Essential History ''. thethirdrail.net. The Third Rail Online. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Morris, Ira ( 1900 ). Morris 's Memorial History of Staten Island, New York. 2. Memorial Publishing Company. Jump up ^ `` City Items ; Change in Ownership of the Staten Island Ferry '' ( PDF ). New York Tribune. June 18, 1862. Retrieved September 18, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. ^ Jump up to : Pitanza, Marc ( 2015 ). Staten Island Rapid Transit Images of Rail. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4671 - 2338 - 9. Jump up ^ `` APPALLING DISASTER. - Explosion of a Staten Island Ferry - Boat Boiler. Wreck of the Steamer Westfield at South Ferry. Dreadful Loss of Life and Limb the Result. ''. The New York Times. July 31, 1871. Retrieved May 7, 2016. Jump up ^ `` New - York Tribune from New York, New York on August 2, 1871 Page 4 ''. Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ Legislature, New York ( State ) ( 1945 ). Legislative Documents. J.B. Lyon Company. ^ Jump up to : Staten Island Advance ( March 27, 2011 ). `` For Erastus Wiman, St. George was a golden opportunity ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved October 8, 2015. Jump up ^ New York ( State ) Legislature Senate ( 1913 ). Documents of the Senate of the State of New York. E. Croswell. Jump up ^ New York ( State ) Board of Railroad Commissioners ( 1893 ). Annual Report of the Railroad Commissioners of the State of New - York, and of the Tabulations and Deductions from the Reports of the Railroad Corporations, Made to the Board, for the Year Ending... C. Van Benthuysen. Jump up ^ `` THE NEW STATEN ISLAND FERRY. ''. The New York Times. October 5, 1882. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Staten Island Museum ( 2014 ). Staten Island Ferry. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439647066. ^ Jump up to : `` Rapid Transit on Staten Island ''. The New York Times. January 17, 1886. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved July 24, 2015. Jump up ^ Weiser, Eugene ( 2013 ). The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. pp. 24 -- 25. ISBN 9781300633051. ^ Jump up to : Harwood, Herbert H. ( 2002 ). Royal Blue Line : The Classic B&O Train Between Washington and New York. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801870613. Retrieved November 17, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Garrett Resigns ''. The Washington Post. October 13, 1887 -- via ProQuest. ( Subscription required ( help ) ). Jump up ^ `` Large Sale of Lots at Rosebank ''. New York Tribune. July 17, 1895. p. 8. ISSN 1941 - 0646. Retrieved September 27, 2017 -- via Library of Congress. Jump up ^ `` New Ferry Boats on Staten Island ''. New - York Tribune. October 25, 1895. p. 9. Retrieved September 27, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Stover, John F. ( 1995 ). History of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Purdue University Press. ISBN 9781557530660. Retrieved November 1, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` FERRYBOAT NORTHFIELD SUNK BY COLLISION ; MANY RESCUED ; SOME MAY BE LOST. '' ( PDF ). New York Tribune. June 14, 1901. Retrieved September 18, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. Jump up ^ `` CROWDED FERRYBOAT SUNK IN COLLISION ; Staten Island Boat Northfield Hit by the March Chunk. TERRIBLE PANIC ON BOARD Fleet of Tugs Follows and Aids the Doomed Vessel. NO LOSS OF LIFE REPORTED It Is Thought, However, that Several Persons Must Have Been Drowned -- Some Passengers Injured, but None Dangerously -- Charges of Cowardice Against Men. ''. The New York Times. June 15, 1901. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` SINKING OF THE NORTHFIELD. ; Investigation Begun Before the Board of Steam Vessel Inspectors. ''. The New York Times. June 29, 1901. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` THE NORTHFIELD ACCIDENT. ; Age of the Ferryboat Not the Cause of Its Sinking, Says Gen. James A. Dumont. ''. The New York Times. October 25, 1901. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` STATEN ISLAND FERRY TO BE OWNED BY CITY ; Sinking Fund Commission Adopts Mayor Low 's Suggestion. Will Expend $2,000,000 for New Boats -- Alderman McCall 's Plea for Municipal Ownership May Be Granted. ''. The New York Times. July 3, 1903. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` CONDEMN STATEN ISLAND FERRY TERMINALS NEXT ; Sinking Fund Commission So Authorizes Controller. ''. The New York Times. July 21, 1904. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Hilton, George Woodman ( 1964 ). The Staten Island Ferry. Howell - North Books. ^ Jump up to : `` FERRY TO STAPLETON NOW. ; Municipal Boats Turned Over by the Mayor -- Staten Island Celebrates. ''. The New York Times. May 28, 1909. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` STAPLETON FERRY PROTEST ; Staten Islanders Object to Losing Its Service on Dec. 31. ''. The New York Times. December 26, 1913. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Whalen Suggests City take Over Bay Ridge Ferry '' ( PDF ). Brooklyn Standard Union. March 9, 1924. Retrieved September 18, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. Jump up ^ `` A Welcome Ferry Route ''. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 12, 1924. p. 6. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` The Future Staten Island ''. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 28, 1924. p. 65. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` FERRY CHANGE ASKED FOR STATEN ISLAND ; Company Wants City to Stop One of Its Brooklyn Lines ''. The New York Times. 1940. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 21, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` STATEN ISLAND FIRE WRECKS FERRY TERMINAL, KILLS 3 ; DAMAGE PUT AT $2,000,000 ; 22 GO TO HOSPITALS Flames Start Under Car, Spread Fast to Set Off 2 Paintshop Blasts BLAZE FLARES UP IN NIGHT Resumption of Service This Morning Threatened by New Damage to Remaining Slips... Fire Creeps Under Slips Thousands Watch at Night Fire Starts in Rail Terminal ''. The New York Times. June 26, 1946. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Merchants of Bush Terminal Lead Fight To Restore 39th St. Kings - Richmond Ferry ''. The New York Times. June 21, 1947. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 21, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Staten Island Ferry to End Brooklyn Runs ''. The New York Times. November 20, 1964. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Eftimiades, Maria ( December 24, 1989 ). `` Ferryboats Again Becoming a Familiar Sight Along Hudson ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 23, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Horne, George ( 1958 ). `` FARE STAYS AT 5C TO STATEN ISLAND ; Ferry Ride Is Nation 's Best Travel Bargain -- It Shows a Perennial Deficit ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Ferry to Continue at 69th St. ; City Awards Contract ''. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 14, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. ^ Jump up to : Martin, Douglas ( September 10, 1993 ). `` 3 Companies Are Picked For Ferries ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Roberts, Sam ( December 29, 2014 ). `` How a Ferry Ride Helped Make Brooklyn the Original Suburb ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Kihss, Peter ( July 15, 1975 ). `` Beame Asks End of 5 ‐ Cent Ferry Fare ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Gottlieb, Martin ( February 10, 1984 ). `` THE FERRY STILL STIRS HEARTS ALONG HUDSON ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 23, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Pristin, Terry ( July 7, 1998 ). `` Speedy Ferry Service Between Staten Island and West 38th St. Is Ending ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 23, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Sontag, Deborah ( July 5, 1997 ). `` On the Staten Island Ferry, Illusory ' Free Ride ' Is Reality ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Lee, Felicia R. ( December 27, 1997 ). `` City Works To Preserve A Ferry Route ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 23, 2017. Jump up ^ Rutenberg, James ( December 27, 1997 ). `` FAST FERRY HITS ROUGH SEAS ''. New York Daily News. Retrieved September 23, 2017. Jump up ^ Newman, Andy ( December 30, 1997 ). `` Another Ferry Service to Take Over Staten Island Route ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 23, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Linton, Caroline ( February 6, 2015 ). `` Secrets of the Staten Island Ferry ''. am New York. Retrieved September 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Eyepop Productions ( 2010 ). BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale of 9 / 11 Resilience ( video ). YouTube. Jump up ^ Lipton, Eric ; Pérez - Peña, Richard ( September 13, 2001 ). `` AFTER THE ATTACKS : THE GOVERNMENT ; Still Reeling From Losses, New York Looks for Makeshift Solutions ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Lipton, Eric ( September 18, 2001 ). `` A NATION CHALLENGED : THE SCENE ; Returning to the Office On the First Monday Since the City Changed ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Bahrampour, Tara ( March 17, 2002 ). `` NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT : BAY RIDGE ; One Happy Result of 9 / 11 : Free Ferry Will Stay Afloat ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ O'Grady, Jim ( September 1, 2002 ). `` NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT : STATEN ISLAND UP CLOSE ; For Ferry 's Wee Hours, a Plan to Downsize and Privatize ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Staten Island Ferry Terminal Lower Level Boarding Starts Today ''. Retrieved September 18, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Sanders, Anna ( September 18, 2017 ). `` Staten Island Ferry commuters cheer lower level boarding ''. SILive. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Rivoli, Dan ( September 18, 2017 ). `` Staten Island ferry gets new entrance to ease overcrowding ''. New York Daily News. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Hu, Winnie ( December 8, 2004 ). `` Citing Growth, Council Votes to Expand S.I. Ferry Service ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` An Assessment of Staten Island Ferry Service and Recommendations for Improvement '' ( PDF ). nyc.gov. New York City Council. November 2004. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Chan, Sewell ( March 7, 2007 ). `` Cost to Operate S.I. Ferries Soared Over the Last 5 Years ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Sanders, Anna ( May 6, 2015 ). `` Staten Island Ferry expected to run at least every 30 minutes starting this fall ''. SILive.com. Retrieved May 7, 2016. Jump up ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. ( April 1, 2015 ). `` Staten Island Ferry to Add More Early Morning Trips ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Jorgensen, Jillian ( October 14, 2013 ). `` Video : Oddo wants to deliver fast ferry service to Staten Island ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Barone, Vincent ( July 8, 2015 ). `` Oddo shows potential for fast ferry service across Staten Island ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Sanders, Anna ( March 24, 2016 ). `` City reverses course on South Shore fast ferry ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Rizzi, Nicholas ( July 11, 2017 ). `` When Big Orange Boats Are n't Enough : Staten Islanders Want More Ferries ''. DNAinfo New York. Retrieved September 29, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Rizzi, Nicholas ( April 18, 2017 ). `` 25 - Min. Ferry From Staten Island to Midtown Could Start Next Year, BP Says ''. DNAinfo New York. Retrieved September 25, 2017. Jump up ^ Sanders, Anna ( April 13, 2017 ). `` New fast ferry from St. George to Midtown ; Oddo reveals deal ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NYC launches ferry service with Queens, East River routes ''. New York Daily News. Associated Press. May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017. Jump up ^ Levine, Alexandra S. ; Wolfe, Jonathan ( May 1, 2017 ). `` New York Today : Our City 's New Ferry ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved May 1, 2017. Jump up ^ Rizzi, Nicholas ( September 27, 2017 ). `` 45 - Minute Ferry From South Shore to Lower Manhattan May Launch Service ''. DNAinfo New York. Retrieved September 29, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Staten Island Ferry ''. nyc.gov. New York City Department of Transportation. September 18, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Staten Island Ferry Schedule ''. nyc.gov. New York City Department of Transportation. October 1, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` New York City 's Ferry Service Set to Launch in 2017 ''. NBC New York. Retrieved May 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Flegenheimer, Matt ( June 28, 2013 ). `` Ferried Between Islands Toward Love and Its Promise ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved June 28, 2013. Jump up ^ Levy, Clifford J. ( September 16, 1992 ). `` Vehicle Ban On S.I. Ferry Is Planned ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 22, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Dunlap, David W. ( November 7, 1992 ). `` Face of Future At Ferry Dock Is 120 Feet Tall ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Yates, Maura ( May 19, 2009 ). `` Are passenger cars on Staten Island ferryboats a safety risk ? ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Sanders, Anna ( September 18, 2017 ). `` Cars on the Staten Island Ferry again ? Not likely ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NYC DOT - Bikes on Transit ''. Retrieved May 7, 2016. Jump up ^ `` BATTERY ELEVATED TERMINAL BURNS ; Hundreds of Passengers and Employes Barely Escape as Swift Flamas Sweep Station. EMPLOYES DROP TO STREET Women Crawl Along Roof with Fire Roaring Through Frame Shell Under Them. STARTS UNDER WOODEN CAR An Downtown Firemen and Fleet of Fireboats Kept Busy -- Ferry House Damaged. ''. The New York Times. July 3, 1919. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` FERRY HOUSE, 50, TO GET NEW FACE ; Interior Rejuvenation Also Is Slated in $3,000,000 Job at Tip of the Battery ''. The New York Times. 1953. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` FERRY STATION TO OPEN ; $2,800,000 Whitehall Terminal Starts Operating Today ''. The New York Times. July 24, 1956. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ McFadden, Robert D. ( September 9, 1991 ). `` BIG FIRE DESTROYS TERMINAL OF FERRY TO STATEN ISLAND ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Ramirez, Anthony ( February 9, 2005 ). `` Metro Briefing New York : Manhattan : Rebuilt Ferry Terminal Opens ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Hill, John. Guide to Contemporary New York City Architecture. New York and London : W.W. Norton & Company. p. 20. ISBN 978 - 0 - 393 - 73326 - 6. Jump up ^ `` MTA Neighborhood Maps : Lower Manhattan '' ( PDF ). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016. ^ Jump up to : SchwartzArch.com, Ferry Terminal description, retrieved February 21, 2011. Jump up ^ Davidson, Justin, Newsday, April 14, 2005, `` At last, welcome to Manhattan ! '', retrieved February 21, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Staten Islanders Worried : Anxious to Know Who Will Run the Ferryboats to This City ''. The New York Times. May 25, 1893. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved July 24, 2015. Jump up ^ Minn, Michael ( December 18, 2009 ). `` History and Future of the North Shore Rail Line on Staten Island '' ( PDF ). michaelminn.net. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on June 1, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Staten Island Ferry Terminal Named to ' Canonize ' George Law ''. The New York Times. May 26, 1929. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved October 8, 2015. Jump up ^ Waite, Thomas L. ( July 19, 1987 ). `` IF YOU 'RE THINKING OF LIVING IN ; ST. GEORGE ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved October 8, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` New Ferry Depot Will ' Open ' Today : Mayor to Dedicate Terminal at Staten Island That Has Been Used in Part for Year ''. The New York Times. June 8, 1951. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Dunlap, David W. ( April 7, 2002 ). `` Launching a Flotilla of Ferry Terminals ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 23, 2017. Jump up ^ `` St. George, Staten Island : THE BOROUGH 'S TRANSIT, CIVIC AND CULTURAL HUB '' ( PDF ). nyc.gov. New York City Economic Development Corporation. August 2011. p. 2. Jump up ^ Office of Diane J. Savino ( 2013 ). `` State Senator Diane J. Savino 's 2013 Staten Island Railway Rider Report '' ( PDF ). nysenate.gov. New York State Senate. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on February 7, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Kennedy, Randy ; McIntire, Mike ; Rashbaum, William K. ; O'Donnell, Michelle ( October 25, 2003 ). `` Crash of Ferry Leaves Questions On Enforcement of Safety Rules ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Paulsen, Ken ( March 4, 2013 ). `` Staten Island Ferry costs taxpayers $4.86 per passenger, per trip ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Mayor 's Management Report Fiscal 2015 '' ( PDF ). nyc.gov. City of New York. September 2015. p. 249. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Rizzi, Nicholas ( September 19, 2017 ). `` Staten Island Ferry Sees Record Number Of Riders in Past Year ''. DNAinfo New York. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` STATEN ISLAND FERRY FARES. ''. The New York Times. March 19, 1882. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` STATEN ISLAND FERRY FARES. ; Supt. Gannon 's Answer to These Who Want Then Reduced to Five Cents. ''. The New York Times. August 21, 1894. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NO BELIEF FOR STATEN ISLANDERS. ; Their Petition Denied for a Five - Cent Ferry Charge. ''. The New York Times. September 19, 1894. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 21, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Associated Press ( October 7, 1968 ). `` Staten Island Ferry Fare Hike Proposed '' ( PDF ). Salamanca Republican Press. Salamanca, New York. p. 1. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. Jump up ^ United Press International ( October 7, 1968 ). `` NY Nickel Ferry Faces Cigar 's Fate '' ( PDF ). The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. p. 3. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. Jump up ^ `` Lindsay Asks 25c As S.I. Ferry Fare ''. The New York Times. May 10, 1970. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Prial, Frank S. ( June 14, 1970 ). `` Budget Pact Preserves 5c Ferry Fare ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Maitland, Leslie ( August 4, 1975 ). `` 5 ‐ Cent Staten Island Fare Sails Into History ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ De Witt, Karen ( August 2, 1990 ). `` S.I. Ferry : Still a Bargain at Twice the Price ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 28, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Shapiro, June ( June 27, 2016 ). `` After Brexit, Staten Island recalls its own secession movement ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved November 3, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Liff, Bob ( April 28, 1997 ). `` UNFARE ? FERRY RIDE TO BE FREE ; S.I. GETS A RUDY GIFT ''. NY Daily News. Retrieved September 28, 2017. Jump up ^ Haberman, Clyde ( July 8, 1997 ). `` Looking A Gift Fare In the Mouth ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Barone, Vincent ( September 24, 2014 ). `` Setting tourist - only Staten Island Ferry fare at $4 would bring in millions annually, study shows ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Estimate of Revenues and Costs of Staten Island Ferry Tourist Fare '' ( PDF ). Independent Budget Office of the City of New York. September 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` STATEN ISLAND : THEN AND NOW '' ( PDF ). Center for an Urban Future. May 2011. p. 37. Retrieved September 27, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Mayor 's Management Report Fiscal 2013 '' ( PDF ). nyc.gov. City of New York. September 2013. p. 151. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Mayor 's Management Report Fiscal 2014 '' ( PDF ). nyc.gov. City of New York. September 2014. p. 232. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Mayor 's Management Report Fiscal 2016 '' ( PDF ). nyc.gov. City of New York. September 2016. p. 252. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Passenger Ferry 2015 - 16 Grant Program Projects ''. United States Department of Transportation. April 14, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Washington State Ferries - Traffic Statistics Rider Segment report - Jan 1, 2016 thru Dec 31, 2016 '' ( PDF ). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 23, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` The Staten Island Ferry Current Ferries ''. The History of the Staten Island Ferry. 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Vandam, Jeff ( April 16, 2006 ). `` Ferries of a Certain Age ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 28, 2017. Jump up ^ Maskaly, Michelle ( July 1, 2007 ). `` All ashore for the Lehman ferryboat ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved February 13, 2010. Jump up ^ `` SI Ferry captain warns : the ships are ticking time bombs ''. New York Post. April 6, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Next generation of ferries to be modeled after popular Kennedy class boats ''. Staten Island Advance. SILive.com. July 25, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Staten Island Ferry : A look back at the various boats ''. Staten Island Advance. April 26, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2017. Jump up ^ Barry, Keith ( January 4, 2013 ). `` Staten Island Ferry Goes Green With Natural Gas ''. Wired. ^ Jump up to : Koeske, Zak ( June 9, 2014 ). `` Molinari - class ferry boats have broken down 58 times since 2008, report says ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Welcomes the Guy V. Molinari to Staten Island Ferry Fleet ''. nyc.gov. Office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. September 27, 2004. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Gartland, Michael ( June 8, 2014 ). `` Breakdowns plague the three newest Staten Island ferries ''. New York Post. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Eastern low bidder for Staten Island Ferry contract ''. Marine Log. November 3, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2017. Jump up ^ Barone, Vin ( August 6, 2014 ). `` New York City selects designer for new fleet of Staten Island ferries ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. ( September 28, 2015 ). `` Staten Island Ferry Riders Helping to Pick New Seats ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Eastern low bidder for Staten Island Ferry contract ''. Marine Log. November 3, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Eastern Shipbuilding confirms deal for Staten Island Ferries ''. Marine Log. April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Porpora, Tracey ( September 10, 2017 ). `` Petition to name ferry boat after 9 / 11 hero reaches 11,000 ''. SILive.com. Retrieved September 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` The Staten Island Ferry Past Ferries 1 ''. The History of the Staten Island Ferry. 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` The Staten Island Ferry Past Ferries 2 ''. The History of the Staten Island Ferry. 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` BETHLEHEM WINS CITY FERRY AWARD ; Board of Estimate Approves Contract for 3 New Ships for Staten Island Service ''. The New York Times. August 19, 1949. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Old City Ferryboat Now Is a School Ship For Training Members of the Coast Guard ''. The New York Times. March 6, 1943. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 28, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Ferry Good Boat Now For Sale '' ( PDF ). Ridgewood Times. Ridgewood, New York. January 24, 1974. p. 6. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. Jump up ^ `` Staten Island Ferry to Cut Night Trips '' ( PDF ). Post Star. Glens Falls, New York. 1970. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. Jump up ^ United Press International ( July 22, 1976 ). `` Farewell Mary Murray -- she was `` good girl '' '' ( PDF ). Tonawanda News. North Tonawanda, New York. p. 10. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. Jump up ^ `` Ferryboat Mary Murray to leave its riverside home ''. Staten Island Advance. March 20, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Yates, Maura ( March 20, 2009 ). `` Owner of beached Staten Island ferryboat Mary Murray dies ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved February 13, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Want to purchase used ferryboat ? '' ( PDF ). Daily News. Tarrytown, New York. July 29, 1975. p. A2. Retrieved September 19, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. line feed character in title = at position 17 ( help ) ^ Jump up to : `` Rikers floating dorm scrapped ( the Walter Keane ) ''. Correction History. c. 2005. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Verhovek, Sam Howe ( March 25, 1987 ). `` S.I. CHIEF AGREES TO A NEW 4,000 - INMATE CITY JAIL ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Purnick, Joyce ( October 7, 1986 ). `` CITY STUDIES PLAN TO USE TWO FERRIES FOR INMATES ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Emergency plan uses jail boat '' ( PDF ). Finger Lakes Times. October 9, 1986. p. 6. Retrieved September 20, 2017 -- via Fultonhistory.com. Jump up ^ Bohlen, Celestine ( March 3, 1989 ). `` Jail Influx Brings Plan For 2 Barges ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Raab, Selwyn ( 1992 ). `` Bronx Jail Barge to Open, Though the Cost Is Steep ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Associated Press ( March 6, 2012 ). `` Workers to refloat decommissioned Staten Island Ferry Herbert H. Lehman ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Horrigan, Jeremiah ( March 5, 2012 ). `` Decommissioned ferry sinks at Newburgh dock ''. Times Herald - Record. Newburgh, New York. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` FOG HERE CAUSES 4 HARBOR MISHAPS ; 12 Hurt in Ferryboat Crash -- Air Travel at a Standstill -- Relief Expected by Noon FOG HERE CAUSES 4 HARBOR MISHAPS ''. The New York Times. January 16, 1953. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` TWO FERRYBOATS CRASH AT BATTERY ; Staten Island Vessel Enters Wrong Slip in Heavy Fog, Hits Ellis Island Craft ''. The New York Times. January 20, 1953. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Tanker Collides With N.Y. Ferry ''. Los Angeles Times. February 9, 1958. Retrieved February 13, 2010. Jump up ^ Blum, Howard ( November 8, 1978 ). `` 173 Hurt in Staten Island Ferry Crash ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved February 21, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Collision of Norwegian Cargo Vessel M / V Hoegh Orchid and New York Ferry American Legion : May 6, 1981 '' ( PDF ). National Transportation Safety Board. February 2, 1982. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ McFadden, Robert D. ( July 8, 1986 ). `` Man with Sword Kills 2 and Wounds 9 on S.I. Ferry ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved February 21, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Grynbaum, Michael M. ; McGeehan, Patrick ( May 8, 2010 ). `` The Barberi Had Problems Before Its First Voyage ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Barron, James ( September 20, 1997 ). `` Long Drive Off Short Ferry Puts Commuter in the Bay ''. The New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2010. Jump up ^ Scott, Janny ; Rashbaum, William K. ( October 16, 2003 ). `` THE FERRY CRASH : OVERVIEW ; 10 Die as Staten Island Ferry Slams Into Pier ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Allision of Staten Island Ferry Andrew J. Barberi : St. George, Staten Island, New York : October 15, 2003 '' ( PDF ). National Transportation Safety Board. March 8, 2005. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NYC fires captain of ferry that crashed ''. CNN. November 26, 2003. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Spicuzza, Mary ( July 1, 2004 ). `` Ferry Involved in Fatal Crash Is Returning to Staten Island Service ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Snead, Robin ( August 2007 ). `` What It Feels Like to Find Spalding Gray 's Body ''. Esquire. p. 91. Retrieved February 23, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Spalding Gray 's Body Is Found 2 Months After Disappearance ''. Associated Press. March 8, 2004. Retrieved March 2, 2017 -- via The New York Times. Jump up ^ Danna, Eddie ( July 2, 2009 ). `` Transformer failure caused Staten Island Ferry crash, officials say ''. Staten Island Advance. Retrieved February 13, 2010. Jump up ^ Rosenberg, Chloe ; Goldiner, Dave ( July 2, 2009 ). `` Staten Island ferry crash at St. George Terminal caused by faulty transformer ''. Daily News. New York. Retrieved February 13, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Staten Island ferry accident injures more than a dozen ''. 6abc Philadelphia. July 2, 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Chapman, Ben ; Nocera, Kate ; Kemp, Joe ; Lemire, Jonathan ( May 8, 2010 ). `` Staten Island Ferry in Fatal 2003 Crash Slams into Terminal Again ''. Daily News. New York. Retrieved May 9, 2010. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Staten Island Ferry. Route map : Google KML file ( edit help ) Display on Google Maps Template : Attached KML / Staten Island Ferry KML is not from Wikidata Official website Ferry Schedule ( PDF ) Staten Island Ferry Rider 's Guide ( PDF ) from the Staten Island Museum. Staten Island Railway Lines Bachmann 's Spur Mount Loretto Spur North Shore Branch South Beach Branch West Shore Line Travis Branch Stations Main Line stations Tottenville Atlantic Arthur Kill Nassau Richmond Valley Pleasant Plains Prince 's Bay Huguenot Annadale Woods of Arden Eltingville Great Kills Bay Terrace Oakwood Heights New Dorp Grant City Jefferson Avenue Dongan Hills Old Town Grasmere Clifton Stapleton Tompkinsville St. George North Shore Branch stations Port Ivory Arlington Harbor Road Mariners ' Harbor Lake Avenue Elm Park Tower Hill Port Richmond West New Brighton Livingston Sailors ' Snug Harbor New Brighton RCB Ballpark South Beach Branch stations Bachmann Rosebank Belair Road Fort Wadsworth Arrochar Cedar Avenue South Beach Wentworth Avenue Infrastructure Unused / Never Built : Robin Road Trestle Staten Island Tunnel North Shore Branch ( freight ) Arlington Yard Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge ExpressRail Howland Hook Marine Terminal Linden Yard Other Rolling Stock ME - 1 R44 History Ferry Related Staten Island light rail Cornelius Vanderbilt Transportation in New York City Public transit Currently operating AirTrain JFK Long Island Rail Road Metro - North Railroad MTA Regional Bus Operations Select Bus Service Bus lanes New York City Subway NJ Transit NYC Ferry PATH Roosevelt Island Tramway Staten Island Ferry Staten Island Railway Proposed / Future Brooklyn -- Queens Connector Private transit Aviation Bridges and tunnels Bicycling Citi Bike Dollar vans Taxis Boro taxi Major construction projects Currently operating 7 Subway Extension Fulton Center Second Avenue Subway History World Trade Center Transportation Hub Canceled Access to the Region 's Core Lower Manhattan -- Jamaica / JFK Transportation Project Proposed expansion of the New York City Subway Program for Action Staten Island Tunnel Proposed / Future AirTrain LaGuardia East Side Access Gateway Program Moynihan Station Penn Station Access Staten Island light rail Traffic proposals Congestion pricing in New York City PlaNYC Vision Zero Operators Public NYC Department of Transportation Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit Authority Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Transportation ( defunct ) Private Hornblower Cruises Liberty Water Taxi New York Water Taxi NY Waterway Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Taxi and Limousine Commission Organizations Regional Plan Association Straphangers Campaign Transportation Alternatives Tri-State Transportation Campaign Other History Mass Transit Super Bowl Port of New York and New Jersey See also : Category Commons category Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Staten_Island_Ferry&oldid=804379545 '' Categories : Staten Island Ferry 1817 establishments in New York ( state ) American companies established in 1817 Ferry companies of New York City No - fee ferries Port of New York and New Jersey Staten Island Railway Transport companies established in 1817 Transportation in Manhattan Transportation in Staten Island Hidden categories : Pages containing links to subscription - only content CS1 errors : invisible characters Use mdy dates from October 2017 Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016 All articles containing potentially dated statements Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2013 Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017 Articles using KML not from Wikidata Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Pages with graphs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Português Русский Simple English Slovenčina Suomi Svenska Türkçe 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 8 October 2017, at 16 : 40. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: how long is the staton island ferry ride
Answer: 5.2-mile (8.4 km)