The ferry service that the city started in June has attracted twice as many riders as its planners had expected. On sunny weekends, it has been so popular with tourists and wandering residents that some boats have been too full to take on everybody waiting on the piers in Brooklyn.

The article doesn’t say that it is profitable (and reading between the lines, it certainly isn’t), but the East River Ferry has been a game changer. I’ve commuted intermittently since the NY Water Taxi first started service, but, as I’ve said before, the East River Ferry is a game changer. Not only can I commute on the ferry (from the Northside, no less), but I can now take the ferry midday when I’m working from home or just need to get home early. The number of families using the ferry, and the number of commuters using the ferry for intra-borough travel has been substantial.