Expanded Jersey City ferry service includes discounts, free rides

🚢 Jersey City ferry service will now accommodate low and middle-income residents

🚢 Fares will be discounted at the Port Liberte Ferry Terminal

🚢 Free transportation will also be provided to and from the ferry terminal

JERSEY CITY — Ferry service has been revived in New Jersey’s second-largest city with discounted fares and free rides to the terminal.

Mayor Steven Fulop, along with city council members, the Department of Infrastructure, and the New York Waterway officially launched city-run ferry operations from Jersey City’s southernmost coast to create more affordable and efficient transportation options for low and middle-income residents outside of the downtown area.

Thanks to a $4 million NJDOT grant, service across the Hudson River is being reintroduced at the Port Liberte Ferry Terminal with a 40% discount on travel rates.

Fulop said his administration will use grant funding to provide free transportation to and from the ferry terminal by leveraging existing transit services through Jersey City’s on-demand micro transit service called Via.

“We are committed to making Jersey City a place where everyone can thrive, and expanding mobility is a key part of that effort. We saw a unique opportunity with this underutilized ferry terminal and added free Via rides for direct access to encourage residents in Greenville and the West Side who are close in proximity but have been deterred for decades due to its secluded location,” Fulop said.

The ferry terminal is the only direct access point to and from New York City outside of downtown. So, making this more affordable and efficient for residents who don’t have many transit options, is a positive thing, said Barkha Patel, Director of Jersey City’s Department of Infrastructure.

In addition to over 70,000 Port Liberte residents who live within walking distance from the revived ferry terminal, NY Waterway expects to see ridership increase as more commuters take advantage of the new amenities.

To expand connectivity even further, Jersey City will also use grant funding to build several new Citi Bike stations in the Greenville and Bergen-Lafayette neighborhoods to and from the ferry, including a station at the terminal. Bike carry-on fees will be waived at the Port Liberte terminal.

From now until Labor Day, any child under the age of 12 can ride the ferry for free, with two free fares per adult. For more information on the Port Liberte ferry services, visit here.

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