With transit costs to World Cup games a concern, could a NYC-NJ ferry be a solution?

With NJ Transit charging fans $150 for a round-trip ticket for World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium, there is new push to add Manhattan ferry service to transportation options.

A group is advocating to add the ferry service from West Harlem to Edgewater, New Jersey. While they are seeking to have it available year-round, the group is lobbying to get it launched in time for the soccer tournament set to begin in July.

On paper, the plan is feasible. By water, it takes around 10 minutes to go from West Harlem to Edgewater. After that, the idea would be for fans to then take a shuttle bus to the stadium in East Rutherford.

“That’s going to be the footprint for future service, so lets get this done,” said U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat.

Lawmakers call it a much more affordable option than NJ Transit’s $150 plan for gameday ticket holders. 

To pull off the proposal, New York City would need cash. Supporter want the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to apply for federal dollars. The federal government set aside $200 million to assist World Cup host cities. 

“This would provide a relief valve allowing visitors to bypass bridges and tunnels and relieve the George Washington Bridge. The ideal start date would be before the World Cup and it would end soon after,” said City Councilman Shaun Abreu. “Should they apply for these funds and should that program end once the World Cup ends, folks in West Harlem would be upset it was cut short.”

Soccer fans may have to brace for some potential sticker shock when it comes to public transportation for the FIFA World Cup this summer. NJ Transit leaders mapped out their plan to get crowds to and from the stadium for the matches, and a word of warning: it’s going to be pricey. NBC New York’s Adam Harding reports.

But it is still a dream for now, as it is far from any sort of done deal. While residents and elected officials are on favor of it, there still needs to be funding. And while it is posited as a free or low-cost way to cross the Hudson River, it still involves adding service to a place that hasn’t had a ferry operate there since the 1940s.

The EDC told NBC New York it was evaluating the proposal. If the city were to apply and get the cash required, officials would still need to find an operator, secure boats and buses, and hire staff — all with the start of the World Cup 48 days away.