NYC Ferry one-way fare could hit $5 on Oct. 19 if the EDC board signs off
A 50-cent increase is on Wednesday's agenda, along with a pricier 10-trip pass and a discount for middle school students.
A one-way NYC Ferry trip could cost $5 instead of $4.50 starting Oct. 19. The city’s Economic Development Corporation, which oversees the system, will vote on the change when its board meets Wednesday.
The extra 50 cents is a rise of just over 11%, and it would be the ferry’s first fare increase in two years. Other tickets would change too:
- 10-trip pass: $30, up from $29, or $3 per ride
- Reduced one-way fare: $1.50, up from $1.45
- Two-day unlimited ticket: still $15, and permanent after a pilot that started last year
Student ferry discount could expand to middle schoolers
Board members will also weigh making every middle school student in the city eligible for the $1.50 fare. High school students already qualify. Their turn came in 2024: before that, the cheaper ticket was open only to pupils at a single maritime-focused high school on Governors Island, and the city widened it to all high schoolers.
What each NYC Ferry ride costs the city
Riders have long paid less than a trip actually costs, and taxpayers cover the gap. EDC figures put the 2025 subsidy at $8.33 per ride, the lowest in the system’s history and less than the $12.01 per rider the city spends on the Staten Island Ferry. Board materials say the added fare revenue would help fund further expansion.
At the 2017 launch, a ferry ticket was $2.75, which matched the subway fare back then. Ridership has grown a lot since. The system logged more than 7.3 million rides from July 2025 to July 2026, and it set a single-day record of 56,882 boardings on Aug. 15. The most recent rider survey, from 2024, found that more than 60% of passengers were not riding to get to work or school.
Boats stop along the waterfront in all five boroughs. In late 2025, the system added service connecting Brooklyn, Staten Island and Manhattan’s West Side. It also added a route from the Rockaways to two Bronx stops, Soundview and Throgs Neck. The $4.50 fare stays in place until the board votes.
Quick answers
How much would an NYC Ferry ride cost?
A one-way ticket would cost $5, up from $4.50. A 10-trip pass would cost $30, and the reduced fare would be $1.50.
When would the new ferry fares start?
On Oct. 19, if the Economic Development Corporation's board approves them at its Wednesday meeting.
Do students get a ferry discount?
High school students already pay the reduced fare. The board will consider extending it to every middle school student in the city.
