New York's Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is an icon of New York City, its orange-painted vessels plying the waters of New York Harbor around the clock, every day of the year.  Operated by the New York City Department of Transportation, the ferry service operates on a single 5.2 mile (8.4 kilometre) route between terminals in Lower Manhattan and the northern tip of Staten Island.  Privately-operated ferry services between the two New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island began as early as 1817 but it was not until 1905 that the municipal government acquired the routes and the terminal buildings and began operation of the service.  With the Staten Island Ferry's fare having been abolished in July 1997, the service is not only a vital link for Staten Islanders who work in Manhattan but also a popular tourist attraction, given the wonderful views of New York Harbor, the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island.  With almost 10 million passengers carried in 2021, the Staten Island Ferry ranks as the busiest ferry route in the United States and the world's busiest passenger-only ferry system.

Photos taken 5 January 2013

The stainless steel and glass entrance to the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan.  Located at the corner of South Street and Whitehall Street, this iteration of the terminal was opened in February 2005, replacing the original 1909 ferry terminal that was gutted by fire in 1991.  Today, the Whitehall Terminal is an integrated transportation hub, with connections to the New York City Subway's South Ferry/Whitehall Street Station and New York City buses.  Open 24 hours a day, the Whitehall Street Terminal handles around 70,000 passengers a day, with travel on the Staten Island ferry having been made free in July 1997.   

Inside one of the passenger decks aboard the Molinari-class ferry MV Sen. John J. Marchi.  The vessel is named after Senator John J. Marchi (1921-2009), who represented Staten Island in the New York State Senate for 50 years.

Another view of the interior of the MV Sen. John J. Marchi.  The spartan accommodation reflects the Staten Island Ferry's status as a commuter ferry, taking passengers across 5.2 miles (8.4 kilometres) of New York Harbour, between the boroughs of Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, in about 25 minutes.   

Passengers, many of them tourists lured by the free fare and stunning views of New York Harbor, sit on the promenade deck of the Staten Island Ferry MV Sen. John J. Marchi.  The Staten Island Ferry runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, with service every 15-20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes during non-peak periods.

Pulling away from the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal.  Solar panels sit atop the glass viewing deck on the top of the four-storey terminal building.  The tall, grey building on the right is the 50-storey 1 New York Plaza, opened in 1970 and the southernmost skyscraper in Lower Manhattan, measuring 640 feet (200 metres) in height.

The 27.5-acre Ellis Island in New York Harbor, dominated by the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.  Between 1892 and 1954, almost 12 million immigrants arrived in the United States via Ellis Island's immigrant inspection and processing station, making it the nation's busiest such facility.  Initially used to process immigrants and quarantine those with infection diseases, after 1924 the facilities were primarily used as an immigrant detention centre.  During both World Wars, Ellis Island was also used by the US military to house prisoners of war.  The facility closed on 12 November 1954 and was partially re-opened to visitors in 1976.  Following a more thorough restoration between 1985 and 1990, the main building was opened as a museum.       

Passing the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. This famous icon of New York City a gift from the people of France and was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi.  With a metal framework built by Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame, the 151 foot 1 inch (46 metre) tall copper statue sits atop a 154 foot (47 metre) all stone pedestal, giving the monument a total height of 305 feet 1 inch (93 metres).  Bartholdi began work on the statue in 1877 and in 1885 pieces of the statue were shipped to New York in crates for assembly on the pedestal.  The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on 28 October 1886 and is today administered by the US National Park Service.  The statue itself depicts Libertas, the robed Roman goddess of liberty, holding a torch above her head in her right hand and clutching in her left hand a tablet on which is inscribed July IV MDCCLXVI (1776 in Roman numerals), the date of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.  At the statue's feet are a broken shackle and chain representing the American abolition of slavery, which has occurred only 21 years prior to the statue's dedication.   

The skyline of Lower Manhattan, as seen on 5 January 2013.  On the left, then under construction, is One World Trade Centre, the 94-storey centrepiece of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex that is replacing the World Trade Center buildings destroyed in the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.  Costing almost four billion US dollars to build, One World Trade Centre was topped out on 10 May 2013 and opened on 3 November 2014. 

Looking northeast up the East River from the Staten Island Ferry.  The iconic Brooklyn Bridge spans the river, with the Manhattan Bridge visible behind it.

A view of downtown Brooklyn from New York Harbor.

Brooklyn occupies the western edge of Long Island, to the east of Manhattan and separated by the East River.

A 25-foot (7.6 metre) US Coast Guard Defender-class Response Boat-Small (RB-S) running on a parallel track alongside the MV Sen. John J. Marchi during the crossing of New York Harbor.  The US Coast Guard operates around 800 Defender-class RB-S, which began entering service from 2002 and are used for search and rescue, port security, and law enforcement duties.  Powered by twin 225-horsepower Honda outboard engines, they have a minimum crew of two, a top speed of around 45 knots (83.3 km/h), and a range of 50 nautical miles (92.6 kilometres) at 35 knots (64.8 km/h).  Mounted on the front of this boat is an M240 7.62mm machine gun. 

Looking south at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connecting the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn.  The 13,700 foot (4,176 metre) long suspension bridge crosses the strait separating New York Harbor from Lower New York Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  It carries seven lanes of traffic on its upper deck, opened in 1964, and six lanes of traffic on its lower deck, opened in 1969.  The bridge is named for Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, who in 1524 became the first European to enter New York Harbor and the Hudson River.  

Approaching the Staten Island Ferry's St. George Terminal on Staten Island, with the Staten Island Borough Hall in the middle background.  The St. George Terminal offers connections to the Staten Island Railway, New York City bus routes on the island, as well as park-and-ride lots. 

A deserted promenade deck on the MV Sen. John J. Marchi as passengers have moved inside in anticipation of disembarking at the St. George Terminal on Staten Island.

Docked at the St. George Terminal are the Kennedy-class ferry MV John F. Kennedy (left) and the Austen-class ferry MV John A. Noble (right).  The MV John F. Kennedy was one of three Kennedy-class ferries built in Texas and was delivered on 14 May 1965.  The 2,109-ton Kennedy-class vessels measured 277 feet (874 metres) in length, with a 69 foot (21 metre) beam, and a capacity of 3,500 passengers and 40 cars.  Since this photo was taken, the vessel was retired from service in August 2021 (to be replaced by a trio of new Ollis-class ferries) and is being renovated to become a floating entertainment venue in Staten Island.  The passenger-only MV John A. Noble is one of two Austen-class ferries built in 1986.  With a crew of nine and a capacity for 1,280 passengers, the Austen-class vessels measure 207 feet (63 metres) in length, with a beam of 40 feet (12 metres), and a weight of 499 gross tons.  While the MV John F. Kennedy was used to supplement peak period service, the Austen-class ferries are primarily used during periods of lower ridership (late night/early morning).       

Docked at the St. George Terminal on Staten Island is the MV Guy V. Molinari, one of three Molinari-class ferries operated by the New York City Department of Transportation.  These vessels carry a crew of 16 and have a capacity of 4,427 passengers and 30 cars.  They measure 310 feet (94 metres) in length, 70 feet (21 metres) in beam, and weigh 2,794 gross tons.  Built by Marinette Marine Group in Wisconsin, the Molinari-class ferries entered service in 2004-2005 but have been plagued by numerous mechanical problems, with the MV Guy V. Molinari suffering a particularly high number of breakdowns.    

A side view of the MV Guy V. Molinari, docked at the St. George Terminal on Staten Island.  The vertical wood pilings forming the ferry slip help keep the vessels secure for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers and vehicles. 

A view of the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan from the St. George Terminal on Staten Island.

Having returned to Lower Manhattan, passengers disembark from the MV Sen. John J. Marchi at Whitehall Terminal, 5 January 2013.