NEW YORK - The new citywide ferry officially took to the water Monday morning, carrying passengers between the Rockaways and Lower Manhattan.
Riders were welcomed aboard the first ferry which left shortly after 5:30 a.m. from Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways.
It stopped at 58th Street in Sunset Park before making its way to its final destination at Pier 11/Wall Street.
The entire ride from Queens to Lower Manhattan takes about an hour.
"We're so happy. We fought for this for a long time. We fought to keep out ferry permanent and after we lost our ferry, we fought to get it back," said one passenger.
A ferry route was established for the Rockaways shortly after Hurricane Sandy, but it was taken out of service in October 2014.
Locals say the new service is a way to open the Rockaways to all New Yorkers.
"It's a beautiful beach. It's a city asset. So it's not just about Rockaway people getting to the city it's about people in Manhattan getting to Rockaway and enjoying the beach and either by ferry or railroad we'd like to make sure all paths are open," said Rick Horan of the Rockaway Civic Association.
More routes are coming this summer.
One will make stops along the Brooklyn waterfront from Bay Ridge to DUMBO on its way to Lower Manhattan.
The other will run between Astoria and Wall Street with stops in Long Island City and Roosevelt Island.
A one-way trip on the ferry costs $2.75, the same price as a single ride MetroCard.
But you have to buy paper tickets at the ferry landings or use the ferry's mobile app to pay.
A 30-day pass is $121.
Kids under 44 inches are free, and seniors and people with disabilities ride half-price.
Passengers can also bring their bike on board.
That will cost a dollar more for a single-ride ticket.
For more information, go to ferry.nyc.