New ferry service from NJ to NY starts in September

New York Waterway will begin a new, permanent ferry service between the Hoboken Rail Ferry Terminal and midtown starting in September.

Spokeswoman Jenifer Schuck of New York Waterway said the new service got its tryout during this summer's commuter rail mess.

"Our brand new service that is going to be permanent from the Hoboken Rail Ferry terminal to our midtown, West 39th Street Ferry Terminal."

She said the "New York Waterway is always looking for ways to improve everyone's commute."

"This is just another way of doing it. We are always looking for different routes, where we can help commuters get to where they need to go. The ferries are really more and more becoming an important part of the trans-Hudson commute, and that has been evident throughout this whole summer," she said.

She said more than 65,000 commuters used this ferry this summer, as the service cross-honored rail tickets while repair work interrupted some service to New York Penn Station. Now, some new riders have decided to use the ferry on an ongoing basis, even though the Penn Station project will end over the Labor Day weekend.

"I think that commuters are more and more going to see that the ferries are a great option for getting to New York City," Schuck said. "There are no traffic jams or rail tie ups on the water."

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5.