The city, unfazed by past failures, is embarking in June on an amibitious year-round ferry network that will provide all-day service on the East River, according to an article in yesterday's edition of The New York Times by Michael M. Grynbaum.

Under the plan, ferries will travel along a seven-stop route that stretches from Long Island City, Queens, to the Fulton Ferry landing by the Brooklyn Bridge, and includes Manhattan terminals at Pier 11 in the financial district and East 34th Street, the article said, adding that during peak hours, boats will arrive at each stop every 20 minutes and travel in both directions.

"The service," the article said, "is an attempt by the Bloomberg administration and the City Council to create a robust and viable mass transit alternative for a growing waterfront population that has struggled with clogged subway lines and bus routes that have been truncated or eliminated altogether."

The article said that "the program comes with $9 million in guaranteed city money and a commitment to maintain the service for three years," adding that "the board of the city's Economic Development Corporation, which will oversee the service, is expected to award a contract to BillyBey, a division of New York Waterway."

There is an existing East River ferry service, run by New York Water Taxi, but it makes only a handful of runs each day, during the morning and afternoon rush, the article noted, adding that "a spokeswoman for New York Water Taxi, which had also bid for the contract, said the company had not decided whether it would continue its current service along the route."

"The new network," the article continued, "will offer two additional stops in Brooklyn, at India Street in Greenpoint and at North Sixth Street in Williamsburg, and the boats will travel far more frequently, running from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. In the summer, ferries will also stop at a pier near Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and, on Fridays, make a run to Governors Island."

City officials said they were hopeful that passengers will pay $3 or $5.50 a ride; the route has two price zones, with the northern part of Williamsburg as the dividing line.

"The boats are to arrive at each stop every 20 minutes during the morning and afternoon rush times, and every half-hour at off-peak hours in the summer. In the winter, the off-peak frequency would be reduced to every hour."

Bicycles will be allowed onboard, and at rush hours, a free bus service will pick up passengers at the 34th Street pier and make stops along the Midtown office corridor.