First in an occasional series on water transportation.
ROB MCPHERSON, the owner of City Water Taxi, doesn't need a US Department of Transportation study to tell him that water transit in Massachusetts "has not had the benefit of systematic planning and implementation." To provide basic service to his customers, McPherson has had to build floating docks at his own expense near North Station, Long Wharf, the World Trade Center, and elsewhere along Boston Harbor. Locator signs and maps along the harbor are so erratic that even customers who call for a water taxi are often clueless about where they are.
Commercial boat operators, harbor advocates, and government officials gathered in a Massport conference center on the Boston Fish Pier earlier this month and tried to make sense of the hodgepodge of water transportation polices and practices. They compiled lists of what works and what doesn't. The second list was much longer, including insufficient routes, lack of marketing, disjointed scheduling information, slow loading, prohibitive cost, and inadequate signage.
But there are at least three indications that the pace of progress in water transit could quicken. Secretary of Transportation Bernard Cohen, Environmental Secretary Ian Bowles, and Economic Development Secretary Dan O'Connell - all current or former boat owners - have some salt water in their blood. And each either attended or sent high-level delegates to the Fish Pier meeting.
One of the biggest problems, according to attendees, is that no one state agency is providing coordinated oversight of water transportation. The MBTA seems to have its hands full operating ferry routes between Quincy, Hull, Hingham, Logan Airport, and Boston. The state's Department of Environmental Protection just undertook responsibility for a comprehensive ocean resources management plan for the entire coastline. That leaves the state Transportation Department, which has water transit experts on staff but is still waiting for a signal from Governor Patrick to prepare an action plan.
Transportation Secretary Cohen already has the best view of both the working harbor and scheduled ferry service from his dual roles on the boards of Massport and the MBTA. And no agency is better situated to see how water transportation should connect to ground transit. Cohen's office needs to take control of water transportation oversight and planning.
Floating solutions for all
The Fish Pier meeting, sponsored by the nonprofit group Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, expanded the definition of water transportation. It must cover more than scheduled commuter ferry service, according to Bruce Berman, the Save the Harbor spokesman. A wide range of excursion and charter trips, including jaunts to the harbor islands, whale-watch trips, dinner cruises, seasonal ferries, and water taxis must be included in the analysis. Often, Berman notes, the same boats and docks are used at different times for both commuter services and recreational excursions. That suggests, he says, that the growth in the recreational services could be used to support expansion of commuter boat runs.The research of economist Francis Mahady, who addressed the Fish Pier group, informs that view. His research shows that only about 82,000 people commuted to Boston by boat in 2007, while 990,000 residents and tourists took part in recreational excursions on the water. Mahady also believes there is a potential to more than double the economic impact of such excursions, which generated $237 million last year.
Salem by boat
There is already a working example afloat. Currently, only about 60 or 70 people commute each day on the high-speed seasonal catamaran between Salem and Boston, according to the ferry's operator, Bill Walker, a principal of Water Transportation Alternatives. Walker, whose company also operates ferries between Quincy, Hull, and Boston, could hardly support the Salem route with the books he sells commuters of five round-trip tickets for $54. But he can maintain the commuter service by charging tourists and day-trippers $22 for one round-trip fare on the same boat.The Salem service itself is only possible because the state Transportation Department provided funds for Salem to buy the boat and lease it to Walker. One important area for advocates and transportation officials to explore is whether similar deals might serve other areas, such as Boston to Plymouth.
There's a lot of additional activity bubbling up on water transportation. The nonprofit Boston Harbor Association is undertaking a series of working meetings on waterfront infrastructure needs, including terminals, docks, and other landside supports. And the Boston Redevelopment Authority is updating its 2000 inner harbor passenger water transportation plan, which should include new terminal sites, design standards, and public funding issues. Meanwhile, people who want to commute by boat or simply enjoy themselves on the water now have one place to turn for information: bostonbyboat.com, a new Save the Harbor website that provides links to commuter schedules, harbor island trips, seasonal ferries, whale watches, and more.
"A rising tide of passengers could float all boats for visitors and the region's residents alike, if only people knew where to find them," says Save the Harbor's Berman.
That's the right direction for state officials.
