Rushing to take the ferry

Rush hour will take on a whole new meaning Monday.

The new Belford ferry service to Manhattan will take the rush out of some commuters’ rush hour.

The Belford ferry service to Manhattan is finally a reality after 14 years of waiting. Local commuters will have the option of going to and from work in New York City by car, bus, rail and now boat.

The ferry service will begin operations to and from New York on Monday, and commuters will be treated to free rides throughout the first week.

While the ferry may cost a bit more to travel into New York City and back, those who can afford the $15 one-way or $450 monthly fares will surely pay to avoid morning and evening rush hour traffic on New Jersey’s road.

The quick 45-minute ferry ride to Manhattan sure beats commuting two hours each way to and from the city by car, bus or train.

Area residents who commute have said the ferry will improve their quality of life.

Decreasing the commuting time will allow for increased time to spend at home with loved ones.

By lowering the time spent commuting to and from work every weekday on the ferry, many commuters will lower their stress levels and may live healthier lives.

While many commuters in the area anxiously await the start of the Belford ferry service, others who can’t afford the twice-daily boat ride will have to do with what they have.

New Yorkers, on the other hand, often do anything they can to avoid taking a ferry.

Riding an hour or two in a bus or in a passenger car from Staten Island into the city during rush hour is often more appealing to many Staten Island residents than taking the Staten Island Ferry into Manhattan.

For some inexplicable reason, many residents of Staten Island endure sitting in miles of rush hour traffic over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway commuting by bus and car to Manhattan.

Private and New York City buses from Staten Island to Manhattan are more expensive than the Staten Island Ferry which is free to pedestrians and costs $3.50 per car.

While many local residents view the Belford ferry as a luxury, it seems strange that some in other communities may view it as anything but a luxury.

More than a decade of waiting and $10 million later, Belford can now boast the Bayshore’s newest ferry service and some area commuters can be relieved knowing they won’t have to deal with rush hour traffic anymore as they comfortably ride the ferry into New York City.