NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Trust for Governors Island President and CEO Clare Newman announced yesterday, Wednesday March 29, that NYC will receive its first public, hybrid-electric ferry.
Setting sail next summer, the ferry will be the first of its kind to provide public transportation within New York Harbor, using a hybrid propulsion system that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 600 tons annually.
Up to 1,200 passengers at a time will be taken across the NY Harbor at a cruising speed of 10 knots while enjoying modern passenger amenities including a lower-level lounge.
“Visiting Governors Island is a great way to support cutting-edge climate solutions, and soon, visitors will be able to go one step further just by traveling there,” said Mayor Adams. “As New Yorkers transition to greener forms of transportation, the city and our partners are leading the way with cleaner, more efficient ways to go just about anywhere. The next generation deserves a green city and a vibrant Governors Island, and this first-of-its-kind ferry will help us deliver both.”
The ferry will begin transporting passengers between Lower Manhattan and Governors Island in summer of 2024. It will replace the Trust’s current vehicle and passenger ferry, the diesel-powered Lt. Samuel S. Coursen, which has been in use since 1956.
Those interested in helping to name the new vessel can do so on the Governors Island website now through May 25, 2023. The final name is expected to be announced this summer.
“Governors Island continues its commitment to a more accessible and environmentally friendly future, exemplified in today’s announcement of the first hybrid-electric ferry in its fleet for public transportation,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “I encourage all New Yorkers to use this new, cleaner ferry to visit the island in New York Harbor.”