New York City's ferry operators added service Thursday to handle surging ridership from the New York Knicks' NBA championship ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan — the franchise's first title in 53 years.
The New York City Department of Transportation doubled Staten Island Ferry service during the afternoon, running boats every 15 minutes from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., compared with the standard 30-minute intervals on weekday afternoons. Regular morning rush hour service, with 15-minute headways between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., remained in place to handle crowds heading to the parade. Normal evening rush hour service resumed after 4 p.m.
"The Knicks brought a championship back to New York for the first time in 53 years, and we want every fan to have a chance to celebrate," said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. "We're increasing Staten Island Ferry service so all New Yorkers can travel home safely and efficiently after being part of this historic day."
Private carrier NY Waterway also added departures from Brookfield Place in lower Manhattan for commuters heading to New Jersey. The company added direct sailings to Port Imperial at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m., and provided a 1:15 p.m. direct departure to South Amboy for riders on that route.
City-owned NYC Ferry, which operates routes connecting Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx to lower Manhattan, reported higher-than-usual ridership and longer wait times.
NYC DOT encouraged riders to allow extra travel time, follow directions from ferry and public safety personnel, and check for the latest service updates before traveling.
An estimated two million people packed lower Manhattan for the parade, which began at Bowling Green around 10:30 a.m. and moved up Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall, where a championship ceremony was held at noon. By around 7:30 a.m., the NYPD had declared all viewing pens along the route full.
Following the parade, Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted a Key to the City ceremony on City Hall Plaza.
It was the first ticker-tape parade for the Knicks franchise; their prior championship teams in 1970 and 1973 did not receive one.
