South Amboy Ferry Service Now Has A Paved Parking Lot, Covered Pier

SOUTH AMBOY, NJ — When NY Waterway first launched its NYC ferry service from South Amboy in October 2023, there weren't many complaints from residents in this area.

But one of the few gripes was that the parking lot was not paved. Manhattan-bound commuters, often wearing nice shoes and dress clothes, had to walk through a gravel parking lot and down a sandy dirt path to board the ferry.

Well people, NY Waterway — and its president and CEO Armand Pohan — heard you. On Tuesday, NY Waterway unveiled its newly paved parking lot, located where the ferry docks at 100 Radford Ferry Road in South Amboy.

The parking lot was paved and made bigger; it can now hold 545 vehicles.

There is still no actual ferry terminal building there. However, NY Waterway also built a new ferry pier where people can stand while they wait for the ferry (they used to only have a floating dock). The pier has a roof, but its sides are open, so customers will still be exposed to the wind, rain, snow, etc.

NY Waterway said what they operate in South Amboy is "an essential transportation center for daily Manhattan commuters."

Tuesday's unveiling of the new paved parking lot and covered ferry dock was attended by Pohan, South Amboy Mayor Fred Henry, New Jersey Dept. of Transportation Commissioner Priya Jain and other local and state dignitaries.

NY Waterway just recently (in August) won back the contract to run New York City ferry service from the Belford ferry dock down the road in Middletown, seizing it back from their arch-rival SeaStreak.

And SeaStreak provides its own ferry service from Highlands and Atlantic Highlands to Midtown and Lower Manhattan.

Here's monthly pricing for all three ferry options:

• A monthly unlimited NY Waterway ticket from South Amboy to Manhattan is $588.
• A monthly unlimited NY Waterway ticket from Belford to Manhattan is $676.
• SeaStreak does not sell monthly unlimited tickets, but they sell 40-trip cards from $745 from Highlands or Atlantic Highlands to Manhattan. That ticket is valid for 60 days from purchase.

Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman has talked for years about launching New York City ferry service from Carteret, but it hasn't happened yet. He even said if they can't find a ferry operator, the town of Carteret will run the ferry boats itself.

When NY Waterway first launched the South Amboy ferry service in 2023, customers were thrilled.

"It's a calm boat ride. You never sit in traffic. In my mind, the ferry has always just been a much better commute," Middletown resident Alex Pantaler, a regular ferry commuter, said at the time. He used to take the ferry from Belford, but started taking it from South Amboy because it's cheaper.

"It was a great trip," said Patrick Ha, 29, a South Amboy resident. "I got the 7:45 a.m. ferry this morning and was in Manhattan by 8:37 p.m. It's definitely nicer than the train/PATH, and there were fewer people on the boat — and no transfer."

He said the ferry is $6 more expensive per trip than the NJ Transit/PATH combo.

"It's roomier; the trains get really crowded. And prettier," said Ha. "I texted my girlfriend a picture of how pretty it was coming home, going under the Verrazano."

When the ferries first started running from 100 Radford Ferry Road: First Day Of South Amboy-NYC Ferry Service: Customers 'Love It' (Oct. 30, 2023)

NY Waterway Will Return To Offering Ferry Service From Belford To Manhattan (August 2026)

Carteret: We'll Run Ferry Service Ourselves If We Can't Find A Provider (2025)