NY Waterway Will Return To Offering Ferry Service From Belford To Manhattan

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — NY Waterway is coming back to Belford.

At their Thursday night meeting, the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to give NY Waterway the contract to run New York City ferry service out of Belford terminal, located in Middletown.

NY Waterway will resume running the service starting September 8.

Up until now, Seastreak ran the ferries from Belford. NY Waterway will honor valid Seastreak tickets for one day only, on September 8, the first day they take over the service.

For the past several years, there has been a battle between NY Waterway and Seastreak over who would get the Belford ferry contract. Belford to NYC is a well-used ferry route; about 1,100 Monmouth County residents take the Belford ferry on weekdays.

When the ferries first started running out of Belford, in 1999, NY Waterway provided the service. They continued to do so for the next 20 years, but their contract expired in 2022. That year, the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners made the surprise decision to award the contract to Seastreak, which operates the ferries out of Atlantic Highlands/Highlands and is NY Waterway's arch-rival.

At the time, NY Waterway told the Asbury Park Press they were "stunned" by the decision. They said they were kicked out of Belford terminal due to a "technicality."

In 2022, NY Waterway sued Monmouth County, and the lawsuit went all the way to the New Jersey Court of Appeals. In 2024, the New Jersey Appeals Court ordered Monmouth County to reopen the bidding process.

Monmouth County was legally forced to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Belford, and ferry companies had to submit bids by April 14 of this year.

This time, the county selected NY Waterway. The county said it selected NY Waterway because they provided the service for cheaper.

However, the terms of the contract are very different now: Instead of a plum, 20-year contract, NY Waterway only gets to run the service for the next two years, with two one-year renewal options.

“We’re thrilled to be back in Monmouth County," NY Waterway President and CEO Armand Pohan said Friday.

“Thank you to Seastreak for its service through the Belford Terminal and we look forward to working with NY Waterway during this next chapter," said Monmouth County Commissioner Ross Licitra.

Starting Sept. 8, here's the new schedule for NY Waterway out of Belford: The weekday morning peak service schedule will include six morning departures from Belford beginning at 5:15 a.m. There will be five peak evening departures from Manhattan and Paulus Hook back to Belford. On the weekends, ferries will depart Belford three times a day, with two evening return departures from Manhattan. (There will be no Paulus Hook service on weekends).

The full schedules can be accessed at nywaterway.com/Belford

Fare options will include adult one-way fares ($23) and several discounted multi-trip fares (7-day, monthly, 10-trip and 40-trip).

Prior reporting on the Belford ferry battle:

Court Orders Monmouth County: Reopen Bidding For Belford Ferry Service (2024)

NY Waterway Files Appeal To Keep Running Belford Ferry Service (2022)