I've been a consulting engineer in the ferry business internationally for 30 years. I know a little bit about the vessels, their operation. capabilities and, most importantly, economics. It's a tough industry and many a private operation have failed. Many others have succeeded..some very well indeed. Imperatore's New York operations and Virtu's Mediterranean operations are two that we helped start up that became very successful. Before the "chunnel" was opened, we were having a grand time and rolling in dough with all the cross-channel ferries that were running.
The proposed ferry connection between Piney Point and the Virginia side near Tappahanock was 100% shut down by NIMBY factors and nothing else. That ferry operation was going to be funded nearly 100% by the operator. Imagine that...a connection to VA-17 and south that didn't involve the overloaded Nice Bridge.
When Congress passed, in the later 90s, the extensive and forward-looking intermodal transportation acts that included the Marine Highways components, we were hopeful. I was nominated to serve on the advisory commission that would guide/plan the way forward. Then Congress never funded the bill. But a few states, Maryland not really one of them, proceeded with their own "parts" and VDOT spent, or obligated, quite large pots of money to do their part. Out of that came many studies including some that showed how viable and very useful ferry services could and should be established. The system that would initially connect Reedville, Crisfield, and near-Norfolk (capacity to include tractor trailers) was envisioned to be expandable and expanded to include feeder or side connections that included southern MD...somewhere in lower Calvert County, exact location to be determined.
A separate operation was started to provide people-only commuter ferry service that connected the upper Potomac basin area to points south on both the MD and VA side. Initially planned to extend only south to Ft. Belvoir and Ft. Washington, the system was eventually expected to grow and connect as far south as Norfolk. Service to the eastern shore or north up the bay was not being considered. The company was funded by venture capital (private equity) with a large matching component from the VDOT funds. With only months remaining to take delivery of first ferries and start operations, the company disintegrated in to a very messy internal battle that destroyed it. The details remain sealed as part of the final settlements reached years later. That was almost 15 years ago; a new company has just this year stepped in to "pick up the pieces" of that planned system and give it a go.
It will be interesting to see if the far reaching Marine highways legislation that Congress passed back then will be "revived" and actually funded in the infrastructure spending Trumps says he will push. One the most important components of that grand plan was the development of special coastal container and truck-trailer transport ships, and new port facilities, tied directly to rail in addition to highways, to support the ships. All in an effort to get commercial transportation offloaded from the I-95 corridor.