New York gets a new ferry system

The new NYC Ferry service started with the Rockaway, Queens, route. The area got priority because residents there have some of the city's longest commutes. The launch also included a previously existing East River route with refurbished ferries.

NYC Ferry will get a South Brooklyn route on June 1. An Astoria, Queens, route begins in August, followed by Lower East Side and Bronx routes in 2018. An estimated 4.6 million passengers a year are expected to use the ferries, which will cut travel times by as much as two-thirds.

A ride costs $2.75, the same as the subway, and includes transfers. Riders can buy tickets on their smartphones as well as from an agent or a ticket machine.

fm /ks (AP,The New York Times)