New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement on changes in Staten Island Ferry service:
“A significant share of our Staten Island Ferry workforce did not report to work today. As a result, Staten Island Ferry service will run hourly from 03:00 p.m. today until at least 05:00 a.m. tomorrow. In that time, ferries will depart from St. George Terminal on Staten Island on the hour and from Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan on the half-hour. We hope Staten Island Ferry service will return to regular operations with 15-minute service beginning at 05:00 a.m. tomorrow.
“Helping New Yorkers travel between Staten Island and Manhattan safely and efficiently is priority number one. We strongly encourage New Yorkers and visitors to seek alternatives to the ferry, and we are exploring every option to help people make that trip. We are particularly discouraging any non-essential trips at this time.
“Beginning at 03:30 p.m., we are adjusting NYC Ferry service to offer no-cost, direct service between Battery Maritime Building Slip 5 and the NYC Ferry St. George Terminal landing, operating approximately every 15 minutes. This supplemental service will continue until NYC Ferry service ends at 10:00 p.k. tonight and resume at 06:30 a.m. tomorrow. We are also working closely with our partners at the MTA to accelerate express bus service.
“We will continue to monitor this situation extremely closely. We are working constantly to make sure that Staten Islanders and all New Yorkers can travel seamlessly between Manhattan and Staten Island, and we will do everything we can to make that happen during this disruption.
“Amidst a national marine workers shortage and ongoing labor challenges, we have already been making regular adjustments to Staten Island Ferry service. Now with this event, we are saying to the workers who did not come in today: If you are not sick, New Yorkers need you to come to work.
“As with other employers nationwide, we have faced staffing challenges and have already been making regular adjustments to Staten Island Ferry service. Now with this event, we are saying to the workers who did not come in today: If you are not sick, New Yorkers need you to come to work.
“We will continue to engage with these ferry workers’ union to reach a voluntary, pattern-conforming agreement in the same way that we have done with virtually all other city unions for these rounds of bargaining.”
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