BAY RIDGE – After a long battle to save the Rockaway ferry, Council Member Vincent J. Gentile and his colleagues are saddened by the Mayor’s decision to cease operation as of October 31, 2014. The fate of the Brooklyn stop on the Rockaway ferry run was always dependent on the Rockaway service being extended. The Rockaway/Brooklyn commuter ferry has been docked by the Mayor until a more comprehensive plan for ferry service can be designed. The ferry was first initiated in the Rockaways after Super Storm Sandy hit in 2012. The Brooklyn Ferry stop was added onto the Rockaway Ferry route as an answer to the requests from Councilman Vincent J. Gentile because of the closure of the R trains Montague Street Tunnel. Without the ferry stop, there was no public transit direct route from Bay Ridge into the city aside from a $6.50 express bus ride. Now that MTA services affected by Super Storm Sandy are back up and running in Queens and Brooklyn, including the R train line, the city has determined that the service has met its short term goals. “I am saddened by the Mayors decision in docking the Rockaway Ferry. My colleagues and I have voiced the concerns of our constituents to the Mayor and he has heard and acknowledged them. The Mayor has assured us that the concept of a coordinated commuter ferry system in the city is viable and on his priority list,” said Gentile. “I will continue to work diligently with the Mayor and my colleagues to produce a comprehensive ferry plan in the months to come,” Gentile further stated. The plan that Councilman Gentile has in mind will help implement stops from Brooklyn to Manhattan.