Post by ferryfast admin on Mar 13, 2006 18:26:35 GMT -5
High-speed ferry proposal drawing support, but also questions
March 12, 2006, 10:38 AM EST
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) _ A proposal for high-speed ferry service linking southwest Connecticut and Manhattan is gaining support and financial backing, but also raising concerns about whether enough passengers would use it.
A recent report by several regional planning agencies found potential demand for a high-speed ferry to link Bridgeport and Stamford with Manhattan and possibly LaGuardia Airport.
However, the report stops short of recommending whether to pursue the project, saying more research is needed and local communities will have to determine whether they want the service.
The Bridgeport Port Authority is awaiting results of a study to answer several of those questions. The proposal also has already won nearly $9 million in federal grants that could be used to launch the ferry service.
However, questions remain about whether enough passengers would use the service to make it feasible, considering the rides are likely to cost more and take longer than those on Metro-North Railroad.
Joseph A. Riccio, executive director of the Bridgeport Port Authority and chairman of the Long Island Sound Ferry Coalition, said he sees a market in corporate workers who live in Fairfield County and work in New York City's financial district.
"This is not going to be for everyone; it's going to be probably for an executive market to get into Manhattan," Riccio told the Connecticut Post.
The ferry is one of several options reviewed in the planning agencies' report, which explores options to use waterways to cut the region's reliance on highways and rails.
The report also says the fast-ferry service from Bridgeport to Manhattan would be feasible only if it stopped in Stamford. Stamford officials said they like the idea, but need more information before committing to it.
"Stamford to Manhattan is difficult economics. Bridgeport to Manhattan is a non-starter. But Bridgeport to Stamford to Manhattan, there might be a market for that," said Michael Freimuth, Stamford's economic development director.
Connecticut House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, said high-speed ferries are not included in the 10-year, $6 billion statewide transportation plan he's supporting in the General Assembly.
However, he said, he likes the idea and might include funding for it as the process progresses.
Not everyone is confident about the feasibility of the ferry idea, however.
Jim Cameron, vice chairman of the Connecticut Metro-North Shore Line East Commuter Council, believes the state's priority should be improving commuter rail if it wants to ease the burden on highways.
"If we could do it on an experimental basis and see if there's a market for it, I'd be comfortable with that," he said of the high-speed ferry proposal.
But, he added: "If you can't get people out of their car to get on a train, why would we assume people would get out of their car to get on a ferry boat that would be slower and undoubtedly more expensive?"
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Information from: Connecticut Post, www.connpost.com
March 12, 2006, 10:38 AM EST
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) _ A proposal for high-speed ferry service linking southwest Connecticut and Manhattan is gaining support and financial backing, but also raising concerns about whether enough passengers would use it.
A recent report by several regional planning agencies found potential demand for a high-speed ferry to link Bridgeport and Stamford with Manhattan and possibly LaGuardia Airport.
However, the report stops short of recommending whether to pursue the project, saying more research is needed and local communities will have to determine whether they want the service.
The Bridgeport Port Authority is awaiting results of a study to answer several of those questions. The proposal also has already won nearly $9 million in federal grants that could be used to launch the ferry service.
However, questions remain about whether enough passengers would use the service to make it feasible, considering the rides are likely to cost more and take longer than those on Metro-North Railroad.
Joseph A. Riccio, executive director of the Bridgeport Port Authority and chairman of the Long Island Sound Ferry Coalition, said he sees a market in corporate workers who live in Fairfield County and work in New York City's financial district.
"This is not going to be for everyone; it's going to be probably for an executive market to get into Manhattan," Riccio told the Connecticut Post.
The ferry is one of several options reviewed in the planning agencies' report, which explores options to use waterways to cut the region's reliance on highways and rails.
The report also says the fast-ferry service from Bridgeport to Manhattan would be feasible only if it stopped in Stamford. Stamford officials said they like the idea, but need more information before committing to it.
"Stamford to Manhattan is difficult economics. Bridgeport to Manhattan is a non-starter. But Bridgeport to Stamford to Manhattan, there might be a market for that," said Michael Freimuth, Stamford's economic development director.
Connecticut House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, said high-speed ferries are not included in the 10-year, $6 billion statewide transportation plan he's supporting in the General Assembly.
However, he said, he likes the idea and might include funding for it as the process progresses.
Not everyone is confident about the feasibility of the ferry idea, however.
Jim Cameron, vice chairman of the Connecticut Metro-North Shore Line East Commuter Council, believes the state's priority should be improving commuter rail if it wants to ease the burden on highways.
"If we could do it on an experimental basis and see if there's a market for it, I'd be comfortable with that," he said of the high-speed ferry proposal.
But, he added: "If you can't get people out of their car to get on a train, why would we assume people would get out of their car to get on a ferry boat that would be slower and undoubtedly more expensive?"
___
Information from: Connecticut Post, www.connpost.com