Three teenage pals have taken on their hometown's famous ferry routes to break the record for the fastest time to travel all New York City ferry stops.
On 28 August 2023, Ayush Maini, Olivia Thomas, and Eva Salzman hopped from one ferry to the next, completing their record attempt in just 7 hours, 19 minutes, and 9 seconds.
The record was completed 28 minutes faster than the previous record held by Kate Jones, Jesse Braver, and Rob Neill, who completed their attempt in 7 hours, 47 minutes, and 9 seconds.
The trio decided to attempt the record to raise awareness about the NYC ferry system and to showcase what fast, reliable, effective public transportation looks like and how it supports communities.
They also sought to recognize climate change and the impacts our decisions have on the planet.
The route, which included over four miles of running, led the group to all five boroughs in under seven hours.
The attempt began at the Rockaway stop and ended at the St. George stop.
“In the planning stage, coming up with the route was definitely quite the challenge,” said Ayush, who led the attempt.
I’d estimate it took 40-60 hours of plugging numbers into spreadsheets before I decided on an alternative.
Ayush says many of these challenges can use algorithms, but this one was unique because the fastest way between stops wasn’t always the ferry.
“Sometimes that was walking, sometimes it was a bus, sometimes it was a train, and sometimes those decisions had to be made in real-time,” he said.
“As a result, each segment had to be evaluated individually.”
Ayush says despite the extensive planning, the trio ran into several issues throughout the record attempt including technical difficulties with equipment and a schedule change.
However, that didn’t stop the group, which was determined to combat climate change and reduce car dependency.
Ayush says the trio had an opportunity to meet many amazing, supportive New Yorkers as well as friendly crew members.
“It was really satisfying to watch a heavily researched plan come together perfectly, especially given the opportunities for things to go wrong,” he said.
“Just one missed connection would’ve meant the end of the attempt; we were very lucky to get this done on the first attempt.”
Ayush also says the New York City ferry system was a really scenic way to spend his time, crisscrossing New York City’s five boroughs.
“I’ve lived in New York City and the tri-state area for most of my life, and I got to explore a lot of neighbourhoods I hadn’t previously visited,” he said.
I think this directly speaks to how NYC Ferry allows New Yorkers to discover places they haven’t visited and create new opportunities, both for visitors and residents of these communities.
Ayush was especially glad to have had the opportunity to learn more about his beliefs, passions, and limits.
“The project was no small undertaking, and there was certainly a lot of patience required as we waited for results,” he said.
“I’ve been really lucky to have the opportunity to use the GWR title to raise awareness, and there were certainly a significant number of lessons I learned during these opportunities.”
Next, Ayush would like to continue his advocacy efforts and attempt new record titles as he seeks to advocate on a larger scale and in new communities.
He is currently examining the feasibility of breaking these records in nine cities, throughout the US and Canada.
Ayush urges those interested in breaking a record title to do a bit of soul-searching beforehand.
“Figure out why you’re doing what you’re doing,” said Ayush.
You’ve got an awesome opportunity to advocate for something you believe in and do something meaningful with your title.
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