NYC Ferry service suspended because of ice in the East and Hudson Rivers
View of the icy East River from Williamsburg on Tuesday. Photo © Karen Palacios
NYC Ferry has suspended service on Wednesday because of ice in the East and Hudson Rivers and across the New York Harbor. The ferry announced the suspension in a post on X, citing “significant, continuing ice build-up” in surrounding waterways. Crews will continue monitoring conditions, but officials warned the shutdown could last several days as freezing temperatures persist.
All NYC ferry routes were suspended by 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The separately operated Staten Island Ferry, however, continues to run on a regular weekday schedule, according to Gothamist.
“Operating in heavy ice conditions requires slow speeds and little to no notice regarding landing service suspensions,” NYC Ferry said in a post on X. “NYC Ferry crew will continue to monitor evolving waterway conditions and prepare the fleet to ensure service can resume once conditions improve.”
The city is in the midst of its harshest winter weather in eight years. A snowstorm that blanketed NYC with 11 to 14 inches of snow last weekend has been followed by sub-zero temperatures and dangerous wind chills, contributing to at least 10 New Yorkers being found dead outdoors.
Still, the city could see more snow this weekend, and dangerously low temperatures will continue until at least early next week.
In response to the extreme cold, Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday expanded the city’s cold-weather response to better protect its most vulnerable residents. The measures include 10 new warming centers, 10 warming buses, and expanded outreach to connect people experiencing homelessness with shelter.
While snowstorms are typically followed by warmer weather, the persistence of freezing temperatures has complicated efforts to clear streets and sidewalks. As of Tuesday morning, the Department of Transportation had cleared 75 percent of bus stops with shelters, while the Department of Sanitation was managing a workforce of more than 1,000 staff actively clearing sidewalks and bus stops without shelters.
Meanwhile, NYC subways, the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North were mostly running normally as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to Gothamist. However, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said many bus lines were experiencing delays.
More information on the city’s extreme cold measures can be found here.
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