Last Saturday, the Bloomberg administration and the New York City Department of Transportation announced that the New York Water Taxi will temporarily be running on ferry schedule in order to provide Staten Island residents with a faster commute to Manhattan.

“With this new Staten Island ferry service, we’re doing our part to get New Yorkers back on their way,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. “The faster commuting option to some of the city’s hardest hit neighborhoods [make] that daily trip to work or school easier and faster.”

For eight weeks, the ferry will depart from a temporary landing dock at Staten Island’s Great Kills Park between 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., stopping first at Pier 11 at Wall Street and then proceeding to 35th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The ferries will then make six returning trips from Manhattan every half hour between 5:40 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. A one-way fare costs $2.

Although she won’t be using the service, Steinhardt sophomore Martha Askandar is happy to see Staten Island returning to normal.

“I think it’s a great idea because of the sense of normalcy I’m sure it provides people,” Askandar said. “Those who have suffered from the hurricane to any extent probably appreciate these services that facilitate details of their daily lives.”

Changes could be made during this eight-week service based on how frequently Staten Island residents use the ferry service.

“The Department of Transportation will be monitoring ridership patterns and could make any necessary scheduling revisions, though the ridership in its first day of operation [on Monday] was impressive,” said Department of Transportation press secretary Nicholas Mosquera.

Mosquera said that the initial scheduling was determined based on a competitive bidding process and the available emergency service funding provided by FEMA, whose financing is also allowing for eight weeks of ferry operation.

Tanay Hudson is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].