Big boost for NJ commuters: New electric ferry coming to Carteret

⛴️ Carteret is getting a $9.6 million federal grant for a new electric, low-emission ferry connecting the borough with New York City.
🚗 Officials say the ferry could provide faster NYC transportation while helping reduce congestion on the NJ Turnpike.
🏗️ The new terminal is expected to be completed by December 2027, with service potentially beginning sooner.

CARTERET — The Federal Transit Administration has awarded NJ Transit with a nearly $10 million ferry grant to build and electric and low-emitting ferry boat for Carteret.

The $9.6 million grant for what will be the borough’s third ferry boat is among 23 projects in 14 states.

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The Federal Transit Administration has awarded NJ Transit with a $9.6 million Ferry Grant to build an electric and low-emitting ferry boat for Carteret’s forthcoming ferry service. The FTA’s ferry grant programs help to fund new ferries, as well as modernize terminal infrastructure and launch new ferry routes in order to connect American families to their jobs and communities. Pictured are construction shots and a rendering of the Carteret Multimodal Ferry Terminal, which is currently under construction and the final beam of which will be signed and celebrated at noon on Thursday on the Carteret Waterfront. (The Borough of Carteret)

 $9.6 million grant will fund new Carteret ferry

The award will help the borough establish a modern, reliable, and environmentally responsible ferry service that expands access to employment opportunities, reduces roadway congestion and strengthens connections between Central Jersey and New York City, said Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman.

The Federal Transit Administration has awarded NJ Transit with a $9.6 million Ferry Grant to build an electric and low-emitting ferry boat for Carteret’s forthcoming ferry service. The FTA’s ferry grant programs help to fund new ferries, as well as modernize terminal infrastructure and launch new ferry routes in order to connect American families to their jobs and communities. Pictured are construction shots and a rendering of the Carteret Multimodal Ferry Terminal, which is currently under construction and the final beam of which will be signed and celebrated at noon on Thursday on the Carteret Waterfront. (The Borough of Carteret)

“I’d like to thank U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and our partners at FTA Region 2 for their continued commitment to this transformative project,” Reiman added.

There will be two to three stops in Manhattan leaving about three or four times a day and arriving back to Carteret three or four times a day, Reiman explained. These times will increase as ridership demands.

The Federal Transit Administration has awarded NJ Transit with a $9.6 million Ferry Grant to build an electric and low-emitting ferry boat for Carteret’s forthcoming ferry service. The FTA’s ferry grant programs help to fund new ferries, as well as modernize terminal infrastructure and launch new ferry routes in order to connect American families to their jobs and communities. Pictured are construction shots and a rendering of the Carteret Multimodal Ferry Terminal, which is currently under construction and the final beam of which will be signed and celebrated at noon on Thursday on the Carteret Waterfront. (The Borough of Carteret)

Carteret ferry expected to ease NYC traffic

The ferry is expected to provide reliable, significantly quicker, and more environmentally-friendly transportation service to New York City, while helping to reduce congestion on the New Jersey Turnpike and roads leading from the Turnpike into the Holland and Lincoln tunnels.

“Like so many of these projects that we plan in Carteret, these are game changers. They create jobs, they put people to work and bring significant economic benefits to the community. They continue to change and improve the community for the future,” Reiman said.

Carteret has two other ferry boats, one of which, the Theodore Roosevelt, is in Carteret Municipal Marina, while the other is under construction in New Orleans.

The Federal Transit Administration has awarded NJ Transit with a $9.6 million Ferry Grant to build an electric and low-emitting ferry boat for Carteret’s forthcoming ferry service. The FTA’s ferry grant programs help to fund new ferries, as well as modernize terminal infrastructure and launch new ferry routes in order to connect American families to their jobs and communities. Pictured are construction shots and a rendering of the Carteret Multimodal Ferry Terminal, which is currently under construction and the final beam of which will be signed and celebrated at noon on Thursday on the Carteret Waterfront. (The Borough of Carteret)

When will the new Carteret ferry terminal open?

Construction on the terminal is expected to be an 18 to 24 month project, with completion expected by December 2027.

The terminal is expected to open by early 2028 or sooner, but ferry service may be provided earlier through a smartphone app on a kiosk on the dock of the ferry slips, he said.

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