Big week ahead for ferry riders and bus commuters across New York City. The Passover holiday schedule wraps up tomorrow, and starting Wednesday, NYC Ferry rolls out its brand-new Spring 2026 schedule with more frequent weekend service on several routes. Here’s what you need to know to plan your week.
Passover Ferry Schedule Still in Effect Today and Tomorrow
NYC Ferry is running a modified schedule through Tuesday, April 7 for the Passover holiday. If you’re commuting by ferry today (Monday) or tomorrow, here’s what’s different:
- Rockaway–Soundview Route: Running more frequently throughout the day, with boats every 45 minutes in both directions to handle higher afternoon ridership.
- East River Route: Operating as two separate routes (East River A and East River B) at most times. Free transfers are available at DUMBO, Wall St/Pier 11, or East 34th Street — just tap your OMNY or show your ticket.
- South Brooklyn Route: On Monday and Tuesday, the route runs between East 34th Street and Governors Island from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. only. Outside that window, Governors Island is skipped and the route extends to Sunset Park/BAT instead.
The Passover schedule anticipates higher ridership across the system. If you’re heading to services or gatherings in Lower Manhattan or Brooklyn, the ferry is a strong alternative to packed subway cars.
Spring 2026 Schedule Starts Wednesday, April 8
Mark your calendar: NYC Ferry’s Spring 2026 schedule kicks in on Wednesday, April 8 and runs through May 17. This is the schedule most regular ferry commuters have been waiting for — it brings meaningful weekend service upgrades across the system.
What’s Changing
- East River Route (Weekends): The East River will operate as two separate routes all day on Saturdays and Sundays, giving riders faster point-to-point service. On weekdays, the split schedule (East River A and B) only runs during morning and afternoon peak commute hours. The rest of the weekday, the East River local makes all stops.
- Rockaway–Soundview: Weekend frequency is increasing. More boats, shorter waits — especially useful as beach season approaches.
- Astoria Route: Weekend service gets a frequency bump, making the ferry a more viable option for weekend plans in Astoria and along the East River waterfront.
- St. George Route: Weekend schedule is also getting more frequent service, connecting Staten Island to Manhattan with better timing.
- Cruise Shuttle (Select Weekends): A new point-to-point shuttle will run between Red Hook/Atlantic Basin and Wall St/Pier 11 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on certain weekend days to handle cruise terminal demand.
MTA Bus: What to Know This Week
MTA local and express bus service is running on regular weekday schedules this week. No major route changes or detours have been announced for the week of April 6. Riders on express bus routes into Manhattan should note that Monday morning traffic patterns after the holiday weekend may cause slightly longer travel times than usual — build in a few extra minutes if you’re on the BM1, BM2, QM lines, or any of the express routes from the outer boroughs.
A reminder: MTA’s OMNY tap-to-pay system is now available on all local and express buses. If you haven’t made the switch from MetroCard yet, it’s worth trying — tap your phone, watch, or contactless credit card and go.
NYC Ferry App: Your Best Planning Tool
With the schedule transition happening this week, the NYC Ferry app and website are the most reliable source for departure times. Download the app to get push notifications about delays, cancellations, and schedule changes — especially useful during the Passover-to-Spring schedule transition.
For ferry service alerts and real-time updates, visit ferry.nyc/service-alerts. For MTA bus info, check mta.info/schedules/bus.
This article is part of Help New York’s Bus & Ferry coverage. We publish bus and ferry updates every Monday and Friday so you always know what’s running — and what’s not.
