City Council expands Staten Island Ferry service

The City Council Wednesday voted to expand service on the Staten Island Ferry.

Approved by a 46-0 vote, the bill requires the ferry to run every half-hour, instead of every hour during the night, by May 2015. And starting in six months, the ferry will run every 30 minutes in both directions from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends.

The city Department of Transportation, which runs the ferry, could determine the extra service isn’t feasible, though the agency would have to review their findings every two years. The DOT could also hold off on expanded weekend night service for 18 months. “We remain open to working with the council to increase ferry service as ridership demands and as resources allow,” said a DOT spokesman.