Ferry systems: Planning for the revitalization of U.S. cities

With planning, ferry systems can be used to revitalize U.S. cities. Traditional ferry system planning and ferry system auditing have been limited to market analysis, that is, quantitative assessments of anticipated ridership. Ridership is estimated based on speed and cost compared to other modes. The assumption behind such assessments is that a ferry system with a large ridership is successful in economic and environmental terms. Our research shows that this is not necessarily so. Furthermore, assessments that measure only ridership fail to recognize the ability of ferry systems to enhance the economic development, "image," and quality of life of the cities that have them. Because ferry transportation has been increasing dramatically in the United States, it is an opportune time to plan ferry systems so that they can spur the revitalization of cities. Reflecting this time of growth and change of ferry transportation, there have been several national ferry studies over the past four years. The U.S. Department of Transportation reported on the nation's maritime transportation system, and two of the department's major divisions-the Maritime Administration and the Federal Highway Administration-also issued reports. Although the studies differ in their uses of databases and raw data, they confirm the same trend of an expanding waterborne transit system with special emphasis on fast ferries.