Do you need MetroCard for Staten Island Ferry?

Using MetroCard fare cards, passengers from Manhattan can exit a subway or bus on Whitehall Street, take the ferry for free, and have a free second transfer to a train or bus at St. George. Conversely, passengers from Staten Island can freely transfer to a subway or bus in Manhattan after riding the ferry.



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It's FREE and you can either get off and spend some time on Staten Island, or simply disembark, walk around and get back on the ferry returning to Manhattan. It is about an hour round-trip.

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Can you pay for the Ferry with a MetroCard? No, MetroCards are NOT accepted. There is a ticket machine on each ferry landing, or you can pay via the NYC Ferry app.

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NYC DOT operates the Staten Island Ferry, providing free service between Staten Island and Lower Manhattan every day of the week, year-round.

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First off, avoid traveling at or around the commuter rush hours of 7:00 to 8:45 am and 5:00 to 6:45 pm! Even the boats right before and after these times are often very busy. Traveling in the late morning and early afternoon is your best chance to get a boat that isn't overly packed.

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If you're getting on from the Manhattan side, go to the right (starboard) side of the boat for the best view of the Statue of Liberty. From the Staten Island side, go to the left (port). The ride is 25 minutes each way with boats departing every 30 minutes on either side on weekends.

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Generally, the ferry runs every 30 minutes during most times of the day, so the wait time can be anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. During peak hours, such as rush hour on weekdays, the wait time may be longer due to increased demand.

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Eliminating the ferry fare was seen as an action to standardize 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.

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The Ferry runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In 2022, the Staten Island Ferry's annual on-time performance was 94%. On a typical weekday, five boats make 117 trips, carrying approximately 35,000 passengers. During rush hours, the ferry runs on a four-boat schedule, with 15 minutes between departures.

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Cost: $34 (7-day) or $132 (30-day). You have unlimited swipes on the subway and local buses for either 7 or 30 days. Your MetroCard can only hold one Unlimited Ride refill at a time. You can't pause an unlimited ride card once you've started using it.

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Regular Pay Per Ride MetroCards: These can be shared with up to 4 people per card. You can each swipe the turnstile separately or the first person can swipe 4x's and have everyone follow through the turnstile.

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Thursday's vote marks the first toll increase on Port Authority crossings since January 2020, when the cash-by-mail toll increased from $15 to $16, with the E-ZPass peak hours toll increasing from $12.50 to $13.75 and the E-ZPass non-peak hours toll increasing from $10.50 to $11.75.

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What is this? Select Single Ride if you only need one ticket for one trip and pay $3. To purchase a Pay-Per-Ride Card or a 7-Days-Unlimited Card press MetroCard. Select $9 MetroCard, if you want to buy a Pay-Per-Ride Card and you want to get done quick.

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