The Federal government, responding to rapidly increasing water transit patronage, is asserting a leadership role in defining the future of the national ferry system. In addition to the National Ferry Project (covered in the July issue of Bay Crossings) the Department of Transportation hosted a two-day conference on ferries in Seattle on June 9-10. Excerpted below are comments from the keynote speech by Clyde J. Hart, Jr., Maritime Administrator.
Published: August, 2000
The Federal government, responding to rapidly increasing water transit patronage, is asserting a leadership role in defining the future of the national ferry system. In addition to the National Ferry Project (covered in the July issue of Bay Crossings) the Department of Transportation hosted a two-day conference on ferries in Seattle on June 9-10. Excerpted below are comments from the keynote speech by Clyde J. Hart, Jr., Maritime Administrator.
Mr. Hart became Administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) in 1998 following his nomination by President Clinton and confirmation by the US Senate. An agency of the US Department of Transportation, MARAD administers the laws and programs designed to maintain a US merchant marine capable of meeting the nation’s shipping needs for commerce and national security.
The title of our conference, "U.S. Ferry Boat Service in the 21st Century—Issues and Challenges," says it all. We want to provide a road map to public and private sector ferryboat industry interests. We want to show how one can access federal assistance and support that is available as we speak for development and operation of ferry routes.
I know some purists will tell you that the brunt of this is already in place. What they might be less eager to admit is that we in government have not made access to the wealth of information and resources as easy for the customer as we could. That has changed. Our goal is to provide one stop shopping for potential or current ferry customers. Businessmen, state planners, and local officials should not have to hack through a rainforest of departments, agencies, divisions and offices to obtain an answer for their project.
By now I’m sure you know that four Department of Transportation components are sponsoring this conference—three DOT Administrations—Federal Highways, Federal Transit, and Maritime and the Coast Guard. We are one DOT despite our different missions.
Few modes of transport are as intrinsically interesting and economically efficient as ferries. Ferries are not just about transporting people or cars or goods, though they do all of these. They are about decreasing over congested highways, providing quality commuting time, offering opportunities to connect with the marine environmental treasures that too often we see only crossing a bridge. Some of us older than the Maritime Administration tend to think of ferries as slow and part of weekend excursions or trips to remote islands. That attitude is changing because of a new type of ferry…the fast ferry.
The fast ferry has been big business in Europe and Asia for more than a dozen years and it is catching on in North America. Right now the latest figures show that we have about one-fifth of the world market, but the numbers are going the right way…up! Five ferry projects and services have begun just recently.
» Allen Marine delivered three catamarans to New York Waterways to serve high-density commuter traffic between New York City and New Jersey. More than 30,000 passengers daily ride ferries on this system and stops include LaGuardia Airport and downtown Manhattan.
» Gladding Hearn Shipbuilding delivered several high-speed catamaran vessels to various clients in the New England area so if you’re planning a trip to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard you will spend less time getting to your destination than ever.
» On the other coast, the West Coast, Catalina Jet took delivery of their new 37 knot catamaran built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders to serve the Long Beach to Catalina Island route.
» Catalina Express took delivery of their new catamaran built by Pequot River Shipworks to serve the same route.
» Lest we leave out an important market—the Great Lakes—let me note that Island Express Boat Lines took delivery of its new Surface Effect Ship and is busy plying those inland waters.
Many of you will note that the emphasis to date has been on passenger-only vessels, but do not be dismayed. Projects are in design or construction phases now for fast ferries carrying passengers/cars, passengers/freight or freight only ferries. It hasn’t taken ship owners long to recognize that Americans like their cars, especially on vacations, so I am confident that we will see significant growth in this market.
Ferries are an integral part of America’s maritime policy. Seattle and Tacoma thrive due to the Pacific Rim trade that has supplanted Europe as the major U.S. trade partner. The Washington State Ferry has operated for years transporting thousands of Washingtonians from often-isolated islands to the mainland. Each day passengers are confronted with a difficult decision: to get off and go to work or keep enjoying the paradise all around them.
Alaska and Hawaii also have long turned to ferries to solve their geographic challenges. In the 1990s we saw a resurgence of interest in ferries in many cities with the arrival of fast ferries. New York City has fast ferries now and San Francisco is in the process of acquiring them.
I might add that there are unique geological and geographical conditions facing some communities that can make investment in ferries farsighted. The Loma Prieta earthquake in the San Francisco bay area almost 11 years ago closed the Bay Bridge for a month. Ferry service provided by two fleets, the Blue and Gold and the Red and White, helped some 20,000 passengers per day go to work and live nearly normal lives in the face of natural disaster.
TEA21 & FERRIES
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century—TEA-21—reflects the high priority DOT gives the U.S. ferry system. It provides money to the state transportation departments and this money includes construction of ferryboats and ferry terminals. Between $450-500 million is allocated over the next five years. The Ferry Boat Discretionary Program provides $220 million to states through fiscal 2003. In all, TEA-21 lists about two dozen ‘high priority’ marine-related projects, including several ferry and ferry terminal construction projects.
This important legislation directed the Secretary to conduct a study of ferry transportation in America that will report on three things: Identify existing ferry operations; identify potential domestic routes; and identify potential use for high-speed ferry services and alternative-fueled ferries. That report is in the final stages of completion and we will make it public as quickly as possible.
LIVABLE COMMUNITIES & ENVIRONMENT
Vice President Gore’s Livable Communities initiative resonates with Americans across the country. Job growth is taking a backseat to quality of living issues for many state and local officials, and increasingly they are turning to ferries to help them reduce congestion and smog from car emissions. Ferries reduce highway construction costs by using existing natural highways—our rivers and waterways. Many people believe ferries are less environmentally stressful than the automobile, and R&D efforts to explore alternative fuels will improve existing emissions. DOT is working with Industry and Government on a MARITECH Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise project that will produce better, safer, and less expensive ferries. We know that noise, wash and exhaust are the three most important environmental issues facing the fast ferry industry and industry and government are working to address these issues.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Fast ferries may well serve a national defense purpose as well. There has been significant amount of investigation underway to identify a faster sealift capability for the military. The Center for the Commercial Deployment of Transportation Technology has received almost $10 million from the Congress. Why? CCDoTT officials are trying to determine what types of high-speed, current and future, commercial vessels might be suitable for military use in times of national emergency. Speed is important not just in helping people ‘beat the clock,’ it may prove to be vital in saving lives and responding to crises more efficiently and effectively.
CONCLUSION
I am proud of the DoT efforts to date in getting ferries back on the front page of transportation planning. But we need to stay hungry and to demand more of ourselves. How can we stimulate ferryboat service and construction? We have two ideas and I’m confident you have others.
We will be suggesting to Secretary Slater that a government-wide ferryboat task force be established. It could monitor all federal efforts on ferryboat service, regulation and construction. Membership would include the four DOT modes represented today as sponsors—MARAD, Coast Guard, FHWA, FTA—and the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. At this point we believe that it could be convened as a subcommittee of the Marine Transportation System.
Our second idea is that we form a "one stop shopping" web page that will permit 24-7 access to the public and constituent groups on services the U.S. Government can provide to the ferry boat industry. I encourage you to speak up and speak loudly if you have suggestions about how we can improve service to ferry boat customers.
