On September 11 , 2001 , a terrorist attack destroyed the World Trade Center , located slightly to the north of South Ferry and the Battery . Since the entire WTC site was destroyed in the attacks , this meant that the segment of the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line that ran through the WTC , including the Cortlandt Street station two stops north of South Ferry , was also destroyed . This changed ' '' 1 ' '' , ' '' 2 ' '' and ' '' 3 ' '' service and led to reduced service in Manhattan and Brooklyn until the WTC section of the line reopened in September 2002 . Concurrent with the rebuilding of that section of the line , MTA officials recognized the need to build a more efficient terminal for the ' '' 1 ' '' and ' '' 9 ' '' trains at South Ferry , since it was anticipated that the line would be heavily used in the long-term aftermath of the attacks . This also coincided with the renovation of Battery Park
a terrorist attack
September 11 attacks
South Ferry/Whitehall Street station