Cities Encourage Commuters To Take to the Water

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The Wall Street Journal

Cities Encourage Commuters To Take to the Water

New Water-Taxi, Ferry Routes Aim to Ease Traffic, Pollution; The Pier-to-Office Challenge
By JENNIFER SARANOW
September 5, 2006; Page D1

As congestion worsens on roadways, bridges and tunnels, more cities and states are turning to waterways as a potential way to alleviate tie-ups for commuters. The growing efforts to encourage more people to get out of their cars and take to the water include expanding ferry and water-taxi services, offering free passes for ferry rides, and developing quicker and easier ways for passengers to buy tickets.

This fall, the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization plans to present proposals to county commissioners and other officials for a water-transit system that, if approved, could come as early as 2008 and include water-taxi and water-ferry routes on Biscayne Bay. The District of Columbia's transportation department is planning a pilot project it describes as a "bus on water," set to begin service in the spring on the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. In Hawaii, a new ferry designed to carry commuters to Honolulu from West Oahu is set to be launched early next year. The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority plans to add about eight new ferry routes over the next two decades, the first coming in 2008 between Oakland and South San Francisco. More stops or boat times for commuters have been added by the Wendella Sightseeing Co.'s Wendella RiverBus in Chicago and Ed Kane's Water Taxis service in Baltimore.

The focus on ferries represents a return to earlier centuries before major bridges and tunnels when water was an essential artery for transportation. It also presents a relaxing alternative to being stuck in a interminable traffic jam on the approach to a city bridge. Jim Healy, a corporate-training consultant in Alameda, Calif., started taking the ferry to work in San Francisco about a year and half ago rather than drive his Toyota Tacoma pickup truck or take a bus. "I may read, I may stare at the beautiful San Francisco Bay or I may pull out my computer and work," he says. "It's really quite luxurious." Still, commuting by water has its drawbacks. There can be logistical hassles like no service during the winter months and figuring out how to get from a ferry dock to the office. Commuters who take the water also aren't immune to high fuel prices since some ferry operators are adding small fuel surcharges to their tickets.

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At the federal level, the latest transportation bill authorized more funding for ferries than the previous bill -- $335 million over five years, up from $220 million in the previous bill. Other states and cities working on developing or boosting ferry and water-taxi service include St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Bridgeport, Conn., which finished a report in August showing a high-speed ferry service between Bridgeport, Stamford, Conn., and New York City would be financially feasible.


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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115741946822253398.html (subscription)

[Drum]

1. Neat!

More ferries serving NYC---seriously!---would be a big help, both for outta town commuters and we locals.