1. Pre-Session Inquiry
1. Do you take a ferry to work?
2. If so, how to you get to the ferry?
a. Bus/rail?
b. Bicycle?
c. Drive?
3. If not, do you…
a. Drive alone?
b. Carpool?
c. Bus/rail?
d. Walk?
e. Bicycle?
f. Vanpool?
g. Telecommute?
4. If one is convenient, why not?
5. Would you take a ferry if available and only 10-20
more minutes commuting time?

2. APO85 Ferry Committee:
The Way Ahead
April 2014
Noël P. Comeaux, AICP, PMP
Chair, APO85 Ferry Committee
Transportation Research Board
Past-Chair, Transportation Planning Division
American Planning Association

3. Today’s Presentation
 What is a Ferry?
 Current State of Ferries in the United
States
 Benefits of Ferry Services
 Federal Support
 APO85 TRB Ferry Committee
 Planned Research Topics
 Next Committee Meeting & Steps

4. What is a Ferry?
• Ferry:
• Defined in 46 USC 2102(10b).
• Normally runs between set points &
on set schedules.
• Water Taxi:
• A small passenger vessel that can be used as a ferry or to final destination,
as directed by a passenger (or the someone hiring the vessel).
• Normally, water taxis are not large and run routes that are not economical
for larger ferry operations.
Both fall under the legal
definition of a passenger
vessel or a small passenger
vessel & require U.S. Coast
Guard certification to carry 6
or more passengers for hire.

5. The Current State…
 National Census of Ferry Operators
• 2010 Data Query
 Are Ferries Currently Being Utilized?
• Over 200 Operators
• 42 States
• Over 53 million passengers
• Over 23 million vehicles
• Over 600 average daily passenger boardings (avg’d across
all the services)
• Over 680 average daily vehicle boardings (avg’d across all
the services)

6. Source: DOT Census of Ferry Operators

7. Benefits 0f Ferry Services
 Washington, DC Metro Area – #1 in Congestion
• Urban Mobility Report, 2012
 Walkability (“Sanity”)
• Proximity to other residential or retail development?
• Proximity to other urban modes of transportation
 Energy
• Liquefied Natural Gas – less emissions
 Transit Oriented Development
• San Francisco, Seattle, etc.
 Eligible for Commuter Benefits
• Commuter ferry services are eligible for Federal benefits up to $130
monthly
 Emergency Evacuation
• There is existing waterside infrastructure.
• Public vessel capacity may be an issue.

8. Historic Cape May

9. Cape May-Lewes Ferry

10. Travel Options

11. The Alternative?

12. Federal Support
 Maritime Administration
• America’s Marine Highway Program
• Gateway Office Regional Support
 Federal Highway Administration
• Formulary Ferry Grant Program
 Federal Transit Administration
• Discretionary Ferry Grant Program
 US Coast Guard
• Permitting/Vessel Certification (Safety Inspection)
• Channel Buoy Maintenance
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
• Navigation Charts
Infrastructure
Only

13. Congressional Testimony
 House Transportation & Infrastructure
Committee
• Testimony - March 26, 2014
• USCG Admiral Papp, FMC Chairman Cordero &
Acting Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip”
Jaenichen
• Addressed maritime funding
 What does this mean?
• Doing “the same” with less for USCG security
efforts including for the Passenger Vessel Safety
Program.

14. Moving Ahead for Progress
in the 21st Century (MAP-21)
 Formulary Grant Program
• Federal Highway Administration
 Discretionary Grant Program
• Federal Transit Administration
 NOFA closed October 21, 2013
 Applications currently being reviewed
 Program Manager
• Vanessa Williams
• 202-366-4818
• Vanessa.Williams@dot.gov

15. Departmental Support
 Maritime Administration
• Seneca Sok
 202-366-6639
 Federal Highway Administration
• Joseph Taylor
 410-779-7146
 Federal Transit Administration
(Planning)
• Jeffrey Spencer
 202-366-0550
• Charlene Wilder
 202-366-1077

16. APO85 TRB Ferry Committee
 Purpose
• To foster and distribute useful information / research concerning ferry
systems
 Audience
• To users, operators, suppliers, manufacturers, and regulators.
 Research
• Ferry requirements, operations, planning, management, design,
construction, maintenance, and utilization.
• Ferries that operate in ocean, coastal, inland, and river environments
are included.
• Other ideas?!
 Websites
• TRB:
http://www.trb.org/CommitteeandPanels/Public/OnlineDirectory.as
px#DetailsType=Committee&ID=1175
• Google: https://sites.google.com/site/trbferry/
• Linkedin: Coming Soon!

17. Committee’s 2014-17
Composition
Non-Profit Org.
(Research/Assoc.)
29%
State
Government
14%
Local/Regional
Government
14%
Federal
Government
19%
Operator
19%
Port
5% Non-Profit Org.
(Research/Assoc.)
State Government
Local/Regional
Government
Federal Government
Operator
Port

18. APO85’s Direction
 First Year
• Connectivity to urban and rural transit service
• Development of P3s involving:
 Transit agency development (for a new privately operated service)
 Electronic ticketing
 Terminal design and development
• Market assessment for new, emerging, or additive markets
• GHG Emissions reduction from alternate fuels development
• Governance
• Business Case for Ferries
• Ferries and the environment (climate change impacts)
including reducing water and shoreline impacts.
• Cost comparison between ferry & other modes
 Infrastructure development & operational/maintenance
• Congested waterways - a major concern for Passenger Vessel
Operators

19. APO85’s Direction
 After the First Year
• Connectivity to urban and rural transit services including
bus and rail
• GHG Emissions reduction from alternate fuels
development
• Ferries and the environment (climate change impacts)
including how to reduce water and shoreline impacts.
• Comparison of infrastructure development and
operational/maintenance costs to ferry development and
operational/maintenance costs, given various
requirements from passenger to vehicular to truck/freight.
 This would entail a greater business case for ferry services due to
increase labor and material costs.

20. Next Meeting & Steps
 Meeting:
• Time:
 Monday, June 23, 2014; 1:00 - 5:00 PM
• Place:
 National Academy of Sciences
 Next Steps:
• Outline / Develop Strategic Plan
• Determine Research Needs
 Synergy of Marine & Transit Efforts
• Look for Additional Committee Members &
“Friends” of the Committee

21. TRB-CMTS Joint Conference
 3rd Biennial Research & Development Conference
• “Innovative Technologies for a Resilient Marine Transportation System”
• June 24-26, 2014
• For more information, contact Scott Brotemarkle, TRB, at
Sbrotemarkle@nas.edu.
 Topics to be addressed include:
• Assessing the State of Marine Transportation System (MTS)
Infrastructure
• MTS Quantitative & Qualitative Performance
• Environmental Stewardship: Moving from Research to Best
Practices
• MTS Resilience: Developing Tools for the Future
• Engineering With Nature, Utilizing 'Grey' and 'Green'
Infrastructure Solutions
• The Future of e-Navigation: Innovating Digital Possibilities

22. Thank you!
 Further Information
• TRB website
• Google website
• Linked website
 Contact Information:
• Noël P. Comeaux, AICP, PMP
 Chair, TRB Ferry Committee
 202-366-5527
 Noel.Comeaux@dot.gov