Ferry Service

[Tonio]

If we get a ferry to the Eastern Shore, I hope someone has the sense not to put its western terminal at Point Lookout, as Johnny Wood originally proposed. Route 5 from Scotland to the point simply can't handle the traffic. I think somewhere near Cedar Cove would be a good location, close to the Pax River back gate.

 

[jam20636]

Why are people so opposed to the Ferry Service coming to Southern Maryland?

 

[willie]

My opposition is that we don't need anymore traffic here.

 

[SmallTown]

Originally posted by jam20636
Why are people so opposed to the Ferry Service coming to Southern Maryland?

They don't want outsiders coming in, they don't want the ones who live in somd to escape:shrug:

 

[Dymphna]

Where in Virginia is the ferry supposed to go? I haven't heard. It doesn't seem possible to be far enough north to serve as a viable commute to NOVA or far enough south to serve much except for going on vacation.

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by cmcdanal
Where in Virginia is the ferry supposed to go? I haven't heard. It doesn't seem possible to be far enough north to serve as a viable commute to NOVA or far enough south to serve much except for going on vacation.

It isn't supposed to go to Virginia at all. It is to connect the western shore with the eastern shore as an alternative to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

 

[Dymphna]

Originally posted by cariblue
It could cut a couple hours off the drive south, depending on where they put it and where you're going.

Yeah, but why would people go south? How many people are making a daily commute to Richmond or Norfolk from St. Mary's. And even if it did make it easier to go to, say Richmond, would it cut off enough time to make it commutable for daily driving? Is there some other center of business or technology in existance or underdevelopment closer to where the ferry might land?

It might make things more convienant for travel to points south for the occasional trip, vacations etc., but then the ferry'd be swamped in the spring and summer and idle most of the winter, and they couldn't possibly make a profit.

Or, is the thinking the reverse? Given that there is a housing shortage in St. M's, are they looking to give people the option of living in Virginia and working at Pax? If that's what they are thinking, why? I could see a private enterprise taking that on, but the county government wouldn't want people living out of state, they don't get the taxes. It might make the people at Pax happy to have more living options, but it defeats the purpose of doing everything to keep Pax open, if you move all the employees and their income taxes to Virginia.

 

[Dymphna]

Originally posted by Ken King
It isn't supposed to go to Virginia at all. It is to connect the western shore with the eastern shore as an alternative to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

What I read was that it was supposed to go over the Potomac.

 

[Ken King]

Well, the first poster clearly stated this was about the connection to the eastern shore. I had heard a little talk about a ferry to the Smith Point, VA area but it never has garnered any support as it would be going from nowhere to nowhere.

 

[Dymphna]

Ok, now that I go back and read the original post it mentions the Eastern Shore. But, like I said, I heard about a ferry over the Potomac. And although I think THAT's where the ferry is proposed, my questions are as valid, if not more so, for the Eastern Shore.

The only reason to use such a ferry is to go on vacation or to draw residents of the Eastern Shore to St. M's to work. Such a ferry would be quite busy all summer, but dead in the winter. Can it make a reasonable profit?

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by cmcdanal
Ok, now that I go back and read the original post it mentions the Eastern Shore. But, like I said, I heard about a ferry over the Potomac. And although I think THAT's where the ferry is proposed, my questions are as valid, if not more so, for the Eastern Shore.

The only reason to use such a ferry is to go on vacation or to draw residents of the Eastern Shore to St. M's to work. Such a ferry would be quite busy all summer, but dead in the winter. Can it make a reasonable profit?

Ferry service has been proposed for both scenarios. No one has challenged that and no one has said your points aren't valid, so spin counter-clockwise for a while and let them panties unbunch.

I seriously doubt that anyone would find the savings of living on the eastern shore (if there are such savings) worth paying a daily ferry tab to transit to St. Mary's for work. It certainly isn't worth it in my mind and I would be extremely upset at our Commissioners if they decided to throw our tax money at it.

 

[sleuth]

Originally posted by cmcdanal
Given that there is a housing shortage in St. M's, are they looking to give people the option of living in Virginia and working at Pax? If that's what they are thinking, why? I could see a private enterprise taking that on, but the county government wouldn't want people living out of state, they don't get the taxes. It might make the people at Pax happy to have more living options, but it defeats the purpose of doing everything to keep Pax open, if you move all the employees and their income taxes to Virginia.

One Acronym: BRAC

 

[Dymphna]

Originally posted by sleuth14
One Acronym: BRAC

I thought of that, but isn't it the BRACs that have caused the housing shortage. They keep moving things TO Pax, and although that's nice up to a point, St. M's doesn't have the infrastructure to support it. Not enough schools, roads or houses. Shouldn't they focus on improving those things here instead of giving the option of people moving to Virginia or Eastern Shore? We still wouldn't be able to upgrade the roads AND we'd lose the tax base on top of it.

 

[Elle]

Originally posted by cmcdanal
Where in Virginia is the ferry supposed to go?

From Piney Point to North Cumberland (sp?) is the ferry service the Commissioners scoped out last week. Not sure what they thought of it though.

 

[Tonio]

Originally posted by cmcdanal
to draw residents of the Eastern Shore to St. M's to work.

That was the original goal. I understand that the winter is actually the problem for employment in Somerset County, because its economy relies a lot on agriculture and seafood.

 

[sleuth]

Originally posted by cmcdanal
I thought of that, but isn't it the BRACs that have caused the housing shortage. They keep moving things TO Pax, and although that's nice up to a point, St. M's doesn't have the infrastructure to support it. Not enough schools, roads or houses. Shouldn't they focus on improving those things here instead of giving the option of people moving to Virginia or Eastern Shore? We still wouldn't be able to upgrade the roads AND we'd lose the tax base on top of it.

Yes, that would make sense.

But the next BRAC is coming soon. One of things that those BRAC committees in the sky look for is the availability of affordable housing in the area.

A ferry service could be offered up in the short term, and then then whoever claims such things could claim that there is affordable housing within a x-minute, x-mile radius, and include all that land on the other side of the Potomac, or on the eastern shore.

:shrug: I'm talking out my @$$. I don't know exactly what they look for, but that's just a guess.

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by sleuth14
:shrug: I'm talking out my @$$. I don't know exactly what they look for, but that's just a guess.

I'll agree with you on that. The local area infrastructure has nothing to do with the decision making process. This comes from a person that I know that represents NAWC-AD on the Pentagon's BRAC process.