Dozens of Brooklyn straphangers stranded by the 14-month-long R train shutdown to Lower Manhattan tried out a new ferry service to Wall Street this morning, but other commuters shunned the transit alternative as even more of an inconvenience.
A total of more than 100 people hopped aboard five morning-rush-hour runs of the ferry, which began leaving the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park at 6:20 a.m. and reached Pier 11 in Manhattan after the 15-minute trip.
The Seastreak ferry, funded by the Economic Development Corporation, will run until Labor Day, when officials will decide whether to keep it going based on ridership.
Bonny, a Bay Ridge customer service rep who declined to give her last name, said she enjoyed the views of the Manhattan skyline on her way to work.
”I love ferries,” she said. “It would be so wonderful to get to work this way every day.”
But many commuters simply took a subway to stations such the Barclay Center and Dekalb Avenue and then switched trains to continue on to Manhattan rather than take the ferry. The Brooklyn Army Terminal’s location is three blocks from the nearest subway station and would cost them an extra $2, as opposed to a free subway transfer.
“It’s not accessible to public transportation,” said one Sunset Park business owner . “It’s only for people who really live in the area.”
Patty Hutton, a Bay Ridge member of the Rider’s Alliance and a legal secretary, told the Post she transferred to the N at 36th Street.
“This morning was pretty perfect,” she said, noting that the trains weren’t too crowded. But “I think in September when people go back to school, this [R train inconvenience] is going to hit big time.”
Noreen Penderson, 42, also part of the Rider’s Alliance, said she decided to still use the subway because her downtown office is too far from Pier 11.
“For me it’s too far away,” she said. “As far as going from the R to the A, it wasn’t an issue at all.”
But some ferry riders said they found the boat ride more relaxing than the train.
Eric Fleming, a 31-year-old head of strategy at Mash Studio in Soho, said he would now skip the N train he normally catches at 59th Street station and catch the ferry instead. He then plans to bike up to his office from the pier.
“I almost went so far as to describe this morning’s commute as blissful,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot more enjoyable than descending into a urine-laden tunnel. I’d love it to last indefinitely.”