<P> Night and weekend service was increased in 2004 due to growing ridership during these times . Before the 2004 increase in night service, boats only ran once an hour between midnight and 7 a.m. The ferry had not added more trips during nights and weekends even though Staten Island's population had increased since 1990 . In November 2006, additional ferries running every 30 minutes were provided during the weekend morning hours . In 2015, weekend - morning and late - night frequencies were increased to every thirty minutes . </P> <P> In 2013, city councilman James Oddo advocated for a revival of fast ferry service to Staten Island as part of his campaign to become that borough's president . After Oddo's election as borough president, he pushed New York City mayor Bill de Blasio to consider a Staten Island fast ferry as part of de Blasio's proposed Citywide Ferry Service (later renamed NYC Ferry). At the time, the new system's only proposed ferry stop on Staten Island was at Stapleton, which was already well - served by the Whitehall--St. George route; the transit - deprived South Shore was not planned to be served by the citywide ferry . Later, the citywide ferry's Stapleton route was relegated to an unfunded plan, leaving Staten Island with no stops on the new system . With the opening of NYC Ferry in 2017, politicians and Staten Island residents again advocated bringing more ferry service to Staten Island, including one ferry each to Manhattan and Brooklyn; a stop on the South Shore; and extra stops on the Whitehall--St. George ferry . In April 2017, Oddo announced a tentative agreement with NY Waterway to possibly implement a fast route from St. George to Midtown Manhattan in 2018 . The ferry would go to West Midtown Ferry Terminal as opposed to East 34th Street . Unlike NYC Ferry, the Staten Island - to - Midtown route would not receive any per - passenger subsidies from the city . In September 2017, private developers on the South Shore also negotiated with SeaStreak to run a separate fast ferry route from the South Shore to Lower Manhattan . </P> <P> Service is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year along its 5.2 - mile (8.4 km) run . which carried 23.9 million passengers in fiscal year 2016 . While trips take 25 minutes, service usually runs every 30 minutes most hours of the day and night, with more frequent service during peak times . The Staten Island Ferry is administered separately from NYC Ferry . </P> <P> The ferry's single route departs Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal at South Ferry, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near the Battery . On Staten Island, the ferry arrives and departs from the St. George Ferry Terminal on Richmond Terrace, near Richmond County's Borough Hall and Supreme Court . The ferry ride provides views of the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty, and as such, is a popular place for film shoots . It is a popular place to go on Saturday nights, as beer and food items are served at the snack bar . </P>

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