STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The longest-running ship in the Staten Island Ferry fleet has officially made its last trip between St. George and Lower Manhattan, with the iconic orange boat set to be sold off in the coming months.
The Andrew J. Barberi, which served Staten Islanders for more than four decades after entering service in 1981, made it’s final run across New York Harbor late last month, with city transportation officials saying they will soon share plans to commemorate the vessel.
“The city has made generational investments to upgrade NYC DOT’s ferry fleet for improved operations and commuter experience and, as always planned with the arrival of the Ollis class vessels, the Andrew J. Barberi ferry has been retired,” said DOT spokesperson Vin Barone.
The Barberi, a 310-foot boat that can carry over 5,000 passengers in a single trip, will forever be linked to one of the bloodiest public transportation accidents in Staten Island history.
The boat’s retirement comes just weeks before the 20-year anniversary of the 2003 crash that claimed the lives of 11 riders, as the Barberi lost control and plowed full speed into a concrete maintenance pier in St. George.
The city intends to auction off the retired vessel, as has been the case with other retired ferryboats, though officials could not provide an exact timeline for when that sale will occur.
In January 2022, two of the borough’s favorite sons, comedians Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, teamed up with comedy club owner Paul Italia to purchase the decommissioned John F. Kennedy ferry for $280,100 through the city’s online public auction.
The group plans to transform the ship into a bar, restaurant and entertainment venue, though refurbishing and retrofitting the vessel has proved to be a complicated, costly endeavor that could take years.
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