Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Beach) today called on NYC's Economic Development Corporation, which administers the new Citywide Ferry, to immediately switch from a proprietary-only fare system to honoring NYC MetroCards, so that senior and disabled citizens and students don't get double-charged for using the Ferry system.

“Mass transit is supposed to be most helpful to those who have the hardest time getting around,” said Pheffer Amato. “I know for a fact that the Ferry would allow our seniors and students to reengage hugely with everything the City has to offer. But right now, if they make use of this great new option, they have to pay double for a monthly pass and get certified twice. That's unfair, and it makes no sense."

The system that the EDC rolled out offers a monthly Senior/Disabled pass, but the program requires that the purchaser mail in their proof of disability or existing MTA reduced-fare eligibility in order to be certified, and that they pay the same amount (50%) for the extra Ferry pass that they do for their MTA pass. Students, meanwhile, get special MTA passes based on their distance from school; but those passes cannot be used on the Ferry, which, though a part of the NYC Transit system, uses a proprietary fare process.

"The Ferry is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Pheffer Amato. "For the students, seniors and disabled folks who have needed this option for the longest, they can finally do what everyone else in the City does - but now, they're being double-charged for it. That's why I'm calling on the City to accept the MetroCard on the Ferry immediately, especially for reduced-fare folks."