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Mayor De Blasio On Hand For Christening As Citywide Ferry Service Set To Debut Monday

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Commuters from the Rockaways can say goodbye to long subway trips into Manhattan.

Starting Monday morning, folks can catch a ferry to the city every sixty minutes on weekdays. The boat will arrive at Wall Street an hour later for no more than the cost of a subway ride, and will cut the time of the commute in half.

"Tomorrow morning, a new era begins in New York City," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the Sunday christening. "Tomorrow morning, we go back to the water."

The mayor was on hand in Rockaway Beach for the christening of one of the boats and a ceremonial ride to Manhattan.

"So many folks in the Rockaways were isolated from opportunity. That's not right," Mayor de Blasio said.

Joe Hardigan says he's been pushing for the ferry service for 20 years.

"Unbelievable, I'm pinching myself," he told WCBS 880's Myles Miller.

Hardigan is a retired fire lieutenant who has lived in the Rockaways all his life. As WCBS 880's Myles Miller reported, Hardigan has been advocating for Rockaway ferry service for 20 years.

"I was a fire lieutenant in Lower Manhattan. The boat came in across the street, and I realized if I could get some of the workers from Lower Manhattan to move to Rockaway, Rockaway would take off on its own," Hardigan said.

The new commuting option is a big deal for people like Rosie.

"I am absolutely thrilled," she told 1010 WINS' Roger Stern. "I'll be on it tomorrow at 7:30."

Each boat carries 149 passengers and is equipped with wifi. The ride costs $2.75, the same as a one-way trip on the subway.

Additional lines are set to launch over the next several months.

The Rockaways had an unintentional pilot run at ferry service when Superstorm Sandy ravaged the peninsula and rendered A Train service inoperable. The ferry became the only link to Manhattan.

For more information on scheduling for the new ferry service, CLICK HERE.

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