Jersey City Hopes To Acquire Ferry Terminal, Offer Lower-Cost Rides

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The Jersey City council plans to introduce an ordinance Wednesday to acquire a ferry terminal in order to increase transportation options near the city's underserved Greenville and West Side neighborhoods, the city said.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley said the city hopes to acquire the Port Liberte Ferry Terminal "as the first time the city of Jersey City is formally entering into ferry operations."

"The new ferry terminal will allow Jersey City to engage directly in contract negotiations for operations while also increasing ridership amongst low/moderate-income communities and expanding transportation options for faster, more direct routes to and from New York City," the city said in a release.

Currently, due to lacking access and affordability, the terminal is almost entirely limited to residents within the luxury Port Liberte complex, the city said, and thus experiences low ridership.

"The city will take an active role in subsidizing rates, increasing ridership, and significantly expanding access to the terminal for residents in the Greenville and West Side neighborhoods by leveraging the highly successful Via Jersey City," the city said, referring to the Via microtransit service it partnered with in 2020.

“Over the last several years, Jersey City has engaged in expanding transportation options for our residents, and this is another step in that direction," Fulop said. "We have been successful with both our Citi Bike and Via initiatives. By lowering costs and creating a more accessible terminal, we can encourage more of our local commuters to use the Port Liberte ferry to New York City.”

Via’s data shows the City’s low-income and diverse populations have benefited the most. Via currently completes 13,000 trips per week. The Via service has been very successful in providing trips to residents in the Greenville neighborhood, with the Journal Square transportation hub being the most popular destination for commuters to then take the PATH train across the Hudson River, the city said.

“Losing the Port Liberte terminal during the height of the pandemic has resulted in our residents taking the light rail to a bus or PATH train. For many families, the longer commute is expensive and time-consuming, which, in turn, impedes residents in our lower-income areas from jobs and educational opportunities," said Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley.

After a two-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NY Waterway ferry out of Port Liberte is expected to resume service this summer, with its contract ending in 2023.

“With this ordinance, the City will be able to more directly impact the growth and success of the ferry service at Port Liberte,” said Barkha Patel, Director of the Department of Infrastructure.

The meeting will start at 6 p.m., inside City Hall Council Chambers.