Happy Friday, New York. If the subway is not your first choice this weekend — or if you just want a more scenic way to get around — this is the day to lean on the water. NYC Ferry’s Spring 2026 schedule has been operating since April 8 with meaningfully more weekend service, and the free Staten Island Ferry keeps its reliable 30-minute weekend cadence. Here is what commuters and weekend wanderers need to know heading into April 25-26.
NYC Ferry: Spring 2026 Schedule in Effect
The Spring 2026 schedule runs from April 8 through May 17, 2026. The headline change: NYC Ferry increased service frequency and capacity on weekends for most routes. If you found weekend service thin last fall or winter, the spring boost is noticeable — particularly on routes that connect the boroughs to beach-adjacent neighborhoods as the weather warms.
East River Route — Split on Weekends
The biggest structural change to know about: the East River route now operates as two separate routes all day on weekends. On weekdays, the East River A and East River B routes only run during morning and afternoon peak commute windows, and the East River local — making all stops — covers the rest of the day. Plan accordingly if you are boarding at a stop served by only one branch on weekends.
Rockaway, Astoria, and St. George See Frequency Bumps
Weekend frequency is up on the Rockaway-Soundview, Astoria, and St. George routes compared to the winter schedule. This is the first weekend of good beach-heading weather for a lot of New Yorkers, and the Rockaway line in particular tends to fill up fast on warm Saturdays — get to the terminal early if you have flexibility.
Weekend Cruise Shuttle
On certain weekend days, NYC Ferry is running a point-to-point shuttle between Red Hook/Atlantic Basin and Wall Street/Pier 11 from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM to handle cruise-related demand. Useful to know if you are catching an early cruise out of Brooklyn.
Staten Island Ferry: 30-Minute Weekend Service
The free Staten Island Ferry runs every 30 minutes most of the day on Saturdays and Sundays, with no rush-hour peaks to speed things up. The full ride between the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island and the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan takes about 25 minutes each way. And yes, it is still free — and still 24/7/365. If you have out-of-town guests this weekend, the Staten Island Ferry remains one of the best free views of the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline in the city.
MTA Buses: Queens Redesign Still Settling
On the bus side, the Queens Bus Network Redesign — which launched its full rollout last year — is now in its post-implementation analysis window. The MTA is tracking bus speeds, ridership, and reliability since full implementation, with a formal analysis expected this spring. If you ride a Queens bus, the new network includes 124 routes total — 94 Local and 30 Express — a net increase of 11 routes from the old system, with a $33.7 million annual operations investment. The redesign also introduced a new route type called “Rush” alongside the existing Local, Limited, Select Bus Service (SBS), and Express categories.
The Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign is still in its Draft Plan stage — routes, stops, and frequencies are being reimagined, but nothing is in effect yet. Expect more public engagement windows in the months ahead.
What to Watch for Next Week
The Spring 2026 NYC Ferry schedule runs through May 17, at which point the Summer schedule kicks in — and that is typically when Rockaway service hits its highest frequency of the year. We will cover the summer changeover in a dedicated post closer to the switch.
Official Sources
For the latest updates, check the NYC Ferry Routes and Schedules page, the Staten Island Ferry official schedule, and the MTA Bus Schedules page. Pair this post with today’s subway service update for a complete weekend transit picture.
Have a smooth weekend, New York.
