NYC Bus & Ferry Update: Monday, May 18, 2026 – Summer Ferry Schedule Launches, East River Splits in Two, NICE Bus Adds LIRR Strike Service

NYC Ferry Summer 2026 schedule kicks in today: East River splits into A and B on weekends, South Brooklyn stretches to Bay Ridge, and Governors Island gets a dedicated shuttle. Plus: NICE Bus adds service for LIRR strike commuters.

Monday, May 18, 2026 is a big day for getting around New York by water. NYC Ferry’s Summer 2026 schedule officially kicks in today, the East River route splits into A and B on weekends, the South Brooklyn route stretches all the way down to Bay Ridge, and Governors Island gets its own dedicated shuttle. Meanwhile on land, MTA buses and NICE Bus are picking up the slack from the LIRR strike with extra service starting today. Here’s the full picture.

NYC Ferry Summer 2026 — What Changed Today

East River Splits in Two on Weekends

The biggest structural change: on weekends, the East River route now runs as two separate lines. East River A stops at Wall St/Pier 11, DUMBO/Fulton Ferry, North Williamsburg, Hunters Point South, and East 34th Street. East River B stops at Wall St/Pier 11, DUMBO/Fulton Ferry, South Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and East 34th Street. If your destination isn’t on your boat’s line, you can make a free transfer at DUMBO, Wall St/Pier 11, or East 34th Street. Weekday afternoon departure times also shifted — review the East River schedule PDF before your evening commute.

South Brooklyn Now Goes to Bay Ridge

On weekends, the South Brooklyn route extends to Sunset Park/BAT and Bay Ridge. The trade-off: it no longer stops at Governors Island. The full weekend extension run is Bay Ridge → Sunset Park/BAT → Red Hook/Atlantic Basin → Atlantic Avenue/BBP Pier 6 → Wall St/Pier 11 → Corlears Hook → East 34th Street. If you’re heading to Bay Ridge or Sunset Park from Manhattan or East Side waterfront on a weekend, this is your boat.

Governors Island Gets Its Own Shuttle

Because the South Brooklyn route stopped serving Governors Island on weekends, NYC Ferry is running a dedicated Governors Island-Pier 11 shuttle from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Transfer at Wall St/Pier 11. Note: the shuttle operates first-come, first-served, and the final scheduled ferry leaves at 5:30 p.m. Plan your return accordingly — the island doesn’t have late-night options.

Rockaway Service Doubled on Weekends

On summer weekends, NYC Ferry is now running departures every 25 minutes between Wall St/Pier 11, Sunset Park/BAT, and Rockaway. Some Rockaway-Soundview trips will only operate between Wall St/Pier 11 and Rockaway, while others run the full Ferry Point Park → Soundview → East 90th → East 34th → Stuyvesant Cove → Wall St → Sunset Park → Rockaway loop every 50 minutes. Crews will be managing vessel capacity at each landing on busy weekends. Also worth noting: Rockaway Reserve tickets — letting you reserve a spot on certain peak-weekend Rockaway departures — are back starting Memorial Day Weekend, with ticket sales opening May 23.

NICE Bus Adds Service Today for LIRR Strike

The Long Island Rail Road strike is now in its fourth day with no end in sight. Nassau County’s NICE Bus is adding service starting today, Monday, May 18, to connect Long Island riders to NYC subway transfer points. Key connections:

Jamaica-179 St (F train): n1, n6, n6X, n22, n22X, n24, n26
Jamaica Ctr-Parsons/Archer (E, J, Z): n4, n4X
Flushing-Main St (7 train): n20G, n20X
Far Rockaway-Mott Av: n31, n31X, n32, n33

NICE will run extra service from Hicksville, Mineola, Great Neck, and Freeport. You can tap and ride with your phone, OMNY card, or contactless credit/debit card — same as the subway.

MTA Strike Shuttle Buses (Free)

The MTA’s free peak-hour shuttle buses are still running for essential workers and those who can’t telecommute. Toward Manhattan: 4:30 to 9 a.m. Toward Long Island: 3 to 7 p.m. Routes:

Bay Shore → Howard Beach-JFK Airport (A train) — peak and reverse-peak
Huntington → Jamaica-179 St (F train) — peak and reverse-peak
Ronkonkoma → Jamaica-179 St (F train) — peak and reverse-peak
Hempstead Lake State Park → Howard Beach-JFK Airport — peak only
Hicksville → Howard Beach-JFK Airport — peak only
Mineola → Howard Beach-JFK Airport — peak only

Shuttle buses are wheelchair-accessible and free. Tap your OMNY for the subway transfer.

Five Boro Bike Tour Bus Detours Cleared

If you were affected by Sunday’s Five Boro Bike Tour street closures, normal bus routing has resumed for the Monday morning rush. Always good to check the MTA app for residual detours.

Commuter Tip: If you’re heading to Governors Island this weekend, get to Pier 11 before 5 p.m. to guarantee a round trip — the last shuttle off the island leaves at 5:30. And for Rockaway beach days, the new Wall St → Sunset Park → Rockaway express every 25 minutes is the fastest beach boat NYC has ever run. Download the NYC Ferry app to skip the ticket line.

Where to Check Before You Go

For NYC Ferry real-time status, schedules, and the Rockaway Reserve, visit ferry.nyc or use the NYC Ferry app. For NICE Bus strike service, see nicebus.com. For MTA strike shuttles and bus alerts, go to mta.info.

Sources: NYC Ferry — Summer 2026 Schedule; MTA — LIRR service is suspended; NYC Ferry — Rockaway Reserve tickets May 23.