Once the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was built the Brooklyn Ferry, at 69th Street, was no longer the, “short route to New Jersey”. The service was stopped in 1964. Photo taken March 23, 1966.n TOMPHOTOS For Memories in Sunday News.The fastest route from Brooklyn to New Jersey has always been through Staten Island. Many ferries have come and gone connecting travelers to New Jersey and points beyond. In 1912, the Brooklyn and Richmond Ferry Co. began operating a ferry service from 69th Street in Brooklyn to St. George on Staten Island. In 1939, the Electric Ferries Inc. took over operation, and in 1954, the City of New York took over and added it to its municipal operations. Ferry services became obsolete as bridges were constructed connecting Staten Island to New Jersey, but the Brooklyn Ferry continued to operate. In 1964, when the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened, the St. George-Brooklyn Ferry service ceased operation, leaving only the St. George-Manhattan ferry the only ferry service operating from Staten Island. Today, the 69th Street pier in Brooklyn has been enlarged and modernized for recreational use.
