The new NYC Ferry service started with the Rockaway, Queens, route. The area got priority because residents there have some of the city's longest commutes. The launch also included a previously existing East River route with refurbished ferries.

NYC Ferry will get a South Brooklyn route on June 1. An Astoria, Queens, route begins in August, followed by Lower East Side and Bronx routes in 2018. An estimated 4.6 million passengers a year are expected to use the ferries, which will cut travel times by as much as two-thirds.

A ride costs $2.75, the same as the subway, and includes transfers. Riders can buy tickets on their smartphones as well as from an agent or a ticket machine.

fm /ks (AP,The New York Times)