Acadia National Park Alternate Transportation Program
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U.S. Department Water Transportation Planning for Eastern of Transportation Massachusetts: A Strategic Assessment of Research and Special Programs Passenger Ferry Services Administration Prepared for: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Construction Prepared by: U.S. Department of Transportation Cambridge, Massachusetts Research and Special Programs Administration John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center March 2003 Water Transportation Planning for Eastern Massachusetts: A Strategic Assessment of Passenger Ferry Services Michael G. Dyer, Eric J. Plosky, and Deirdre P. Carrigan (Volpe Center) Charles R. Norris, Norris and Norris Associates Clinton Bench, Vijay Majal, and Alicia Wilson (Central Transportation Planning Staff) March 2003 Prepared by U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Special Programs Administration John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center Prepared for The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Construction ii NOTICE Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or use of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United State Government or any agency thereof. Form Approved REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMB No. 0704-0188 Public Reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comment regarding this burden estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704- 0188,) Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave Blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE & DATES COVERED March 2003 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Water Transportation Planning for Eastern Massachusetts: A Strategic Assessment of Passenger Ferry Services 6. AUTHORS Michael G. Dyer, Eric J. Plosky, and Deirdre P. Carrigan (Volpe Center); Charles R. Norris (Norris and Norris Associates); Clinton Bench, Vijay Majal, and Alicia Wilson (Central Transportation Planning Staff, Metropolitan Area Planning Commission) 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION U.S. Department of Transportation REPORT NUMBER Research and Special Programs Administration John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center 55 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING AGENCY REPORT Commonwealth of Massachusetts NUMBER Executive Office of Transportation and Construction 10 Park Plaza Boston, Massachusetts 02116 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT A group of existing, proposed, and potential ferry services is the subject of a comprehensive assessment to assist the strategic planning process of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for its future transportation system. The Volpe Center developed a tool for scoring all of the relevant factors for ferry service, including terminal and infrastructure, access, intermodal connectivity, navigational and operational matters, and environmental concerns. In addition, the assessment accounts for the costs of running the ferry services, and the anticipated passenger demand (per the analysis of the Central Transportation Planning Staff of the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization). The result is a framework for addressing new services and service enhancements for use by the Commonwealth’s transportation decision makers. 14. KEY WORDS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES Alternate transportation, ferry, bicycle, Massachusetts, MPO, EOTC 16. PRICE CODE SECURITY CLASSIFICATION SECURITY CLASSIFICATION SECURITY CLASSIFICATION LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT OF REPORT OF THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACT None None None NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 298-102 iv Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the numerous organizations and individuals who graciously provided their time, knowledge and guidance in the development of this report. Our sponsors, Astrid C. Glynn and Todd M. Fontanella of EOTC, have been particularly supportive. Jeffrey Bryan of Volpe Center also deserves our thanks for his tenacious efforts to foster this new transportation partnership. Finally, we thank the stakeholders who contributed so greatly to our understanding of the water transport issues. Maurice Freedman and Jay Spence are the co-chairs of the Water Transportation Advisory Council, and they graciously allowed us to work through the Council to organize a Focus Group of operators, government agencies, and public interest groups to address many facets of operations and policy for inclusion in this report. The Focus Group was: Rick Armstrong, Seaport Adv. Council (North Shore) Alice Boelter, Boelter & Associates, Inc. Sharna Small Borsellino, MBTA Kristine Cheetham, Consultant North Shore Mo Freedman, Pressley Associates Michael Glassfeld, Bay State Cruises Andrew Hargens, MassPort Diane Haynes, Department Environmental Management Rosemary Heard, Massachusetts Development Finance Agency Tom Humphrey, Central Transportation Planning Staff Ben Kelly, Save the Harbor Ron Killian, Central Artery Project Isabel Kriegel, Boston Redevelopment Authority Peter Lewenberg, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Mike McGurl, Harbor Express Jane Meade, Coastal Zone Management Rick Nolan, Boston Harbor Cruises George Price, National Park Service Patrick Reffet, Design Consultants Marty Reilly, Hy-Line Murray Scudder, Hy-Line Jay Spence, Massachusetts Bay Lines Denise Sullivan, City of Salem Kristin Decas, Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council Greg Ketchen, City of Gloucester Jack Wiggin, Urban Harbor Institute-University of Massachusetts v Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose of Report 1.2 EOTC Objectives 1.3 Project Partnership Team 1.4 Organization of Report 2 Background 2.1 Description of Region 2.2 Eastern Massachusetts Transportation System 2.2.1 General Description 2.2.2 Ferry Services 2.2.3 Previous Initiatives and Relevant Studies 3 Approach 3.1 General 3.2 Partnership Roles 3.2.1 Volpe Center 3.2.2 CTPS 3.2.3 Norris & Norris 3.3 Analytical Framework 3.3.1 Use of Focus Group 3.3.1.1 Purpose 3.3.1.2 Execution 3.3.2 Service Assessment Tool 3.3.2.1 Identification and Logic of Categorical Evaluation Elements 3.3.2.1.1 Policy 3.3.2.1.2 Feasibility 3.3.2.1.3 Demand estimation 3.3.2.1.4 Finances 3.3.2.2 Scoring 3.3.3 Candidate Ferry Services 3.3.3.1 Selection process 3.3.3.2 Descriptors of selected services 3.3.4 Service assessment process 3.3.4.1 Data acquisition vi Table of Contents 3.3.4.2 Field work 4 Selection of Ferry Services for Assessment 4.1 WTAC focus group 4.2 Decision 5 Assessment: Inner Harbor Services 5.1 General Characteristics and Guidelines 5.1.1 Operating area description 5.1.2 Similar services 5.1.3 Transportation policy choices 5.1.4 Vessel options 5.2 Russia Wharf to Pier 4/Navy Yard, with Long Wharf Combination Option 5.2.1 Characterization 5.2.1.1 Route and service area 5.2.1.2 Schedule and vessels 5.2.1.3 Terminal infrastructure 5.2.2 Field Work 5.2.3 Service Assessment 5.2.3.1 Maturity evaluation 5.2.3.2 Categorical evaluation 5.2.3.2.1 Policy 5.2.3.2.2 Feasibility 5.2.3.2.3 Demand estimation 5.2.3.2.4 Finances 5.2.4 Summary 5.3 Lovejoy Wharf, World Trade Center/Fan Pier 5.3.1 Characterization 5.3.1.1 Route and service area 5.3.1.2 Schedule and vessels 5.3.1.3 Terminal infrastructure 5.3.2 Field Work 5.3.3 Service Assessment 5.3.3.1 Maturity evaluation 5.3.3.2 Categorical evaluation 5.3.3.2.1 Policy 5.3.3.2.2 Feasibility 5.3.3.2.3 Demand estimation 5.3.3.2.4 Finances vii Water Transportation Planning for Eastern Massachusetts: A Strategic Assessment of Passenger Ferry Services 5.3.4 Summary 5.4 Summary Findings and Recommendations 6 Assessment: Outer Harbor Services 6.1 General Characteristics and Guidelines 6.1.1 Operating area description 6.1.2 Similar services 6.1.3 Transportation policy choices 6.1.4 Vessel options 6.2 Quincy- Hull - Long Wharf - Logan Airport 6.2.1 Characterization 6.2.1.1 Route and service area 6.2.1.2 Schedule and vessels 6.2.1.3 Terminal infrastructure 6.2.2 Field Work 6.2.3 Service Assessment 6.2.3.1 Maturity evaluation 6.2.3.2 Categorical evaluation 6.2.3.2.1 Policy 6.2.3.2.2 Feasibility 6.2.3.2.3 Demand estimation 6.2.3.2.4 Finances 6.2.4 Summary 6.3 Summary Findings and Recommendations 7 Assessment: Massachusetts Bay Services 7.1 General Characteristics and Guidelines 7.1.1 Operating area description 7.1.2 Similar services 7.1.3 Transportation policy choices 7.1.4 Vessel options 7.2 Salem to Boston service 7.2.1 Characterization 7.2.1.1 Route and service area 7.2.1.2