St Mary's looking at Bay Ferry?
- Thread starter Hessian
- Start date
Oh good grief...yet another bay ferry study. I've forgotten now how many of those we participated in back in the late 80s and throughout the 90s.
Of all the options we evaluated, none of the possible high-speed ferry operations were found to be economically viable (meaning they would require large taxpayer-funded subsidies) and didn't do much to alleviate the traffic on current bridge and bridge-tunnel. The one viable concept involved using specially configured barges, that could carry a large number of trucks and cars, propelled by ATB tugs. Slow, obviously, but reasonably effective. The barges would have had center "island" strips that included rest rooms and some vending machines. But nothing ever came of that idea either.
Of all the options we evaluated, none of the possible high-speed ferry operations were found to be economically viable (meaning they would require large taxpayer-funded subsidies) and didn't do much to alleviate the traffic on current bridge and bridge-tunnel. The one viable concept involved using specially configured barges, that could carry a large number of trucks and cars, propelled by ATB tugs. Slow, obviously, but reasonably effective. The barges would have had center "island" strips that included rest rooms and some vending machines. But nothing ever came of that idea either.
Sneakers
Just sneakin' around....
Ferry, not fairy. Easy mistake...
Please stop resisting
Something more recent...that acknowledges previous study results...
https://www.capitalgazette.com/news...0200420-dmjuy3kakbbaze2g5rtp7dyji4-story.html
https://www.capitalgazette.com/news...0200420-dmjuy3kakbbaze2g5rtp7dyji4-story.html
Bwa ha ha haa.....ignorant rubes.
https://www.somdnews.com/enterprise...cle_e7fe423e-eea0-52af-be2d-14a8d053338e.html
https://www.somdnews.com/enterprise...cle_e7fe423e-eea0-52af-be2d-14a8d053338e.html
Sneakers
Just sneakin' around....
I'm a relative newcomer to SoMD, but even I knew studies had been done for years and years.
The Port Jefferson and Orient Point ferries have been very successful, traversing 20 miles or so across Long Island Sound. The distance to the Eastern Shore is less than that, and would be a nice change from driving around. Not sure the Eastern Shore would appreciate the increase in traffic.
What is this, like the 10th or 11th one? We pay some politically connected consulting group a piss ton of money to "study the feasibility" of something, and they never find it feasible. Just take the money and run.
glhs837
Power with Control
On Google Maps...I was mulling where might the Ferry land.
I did rule out a lonely little crossroad (with post office) called....
Crapo
It might not be the best slogan: "St Mary's to Crapo in 30 minutes!"
Maybe they could change it to Sh(tholio
TPD
the poor dad
I vaguely remember the last study done where Pt Lookout was being looked at hard. I pushed back, stating we don't want the traffic a ferry would bring, nor can our roads handle it, though they are now improving the last 2 miles of Rt 5 into the park. It would make more sense for a ferry landing near Myrtle Point/Town Creek Marina/Solomons where the infrastructure/roads are already in place to handle the traffic. And if a high speed ferry is the feasible option, said watercraft could travel the distance from Solomons to Pt Lookout quicker than you could in a car.
I've been there, it's pronounced cray-po and the get extremely upset if you call it crappo.On Google Maps...I was mulling where might the Ferry land.
I did rule out a lonely little crossroad (with post office) called....
Crapo
It might not be the best slogan: "St Mary's to Crapo in 30 minutes!"
NorthBeachPerso
Honorary SMIB
Charles Donnelly must be going nuts that the "study" isn't for Solomon's.
So YOU are the guy that torpedoed our plans to run 250-ft high-speed catamarans in and out of a huge new ferry terminal on Tanner Creek. Dammit man...it coulda been yuge!
I remember with something less than fondness all the grossly mis-educated locals coming up with all sorts of totally bogus reasons whey the proposed very small slow ferry crossing from Piney Point over to the VA shore was such a horrible idea. When I offered a few words of support I was immediately accused of wanting it because "my company would make money on it"...despite the simple fact that our company is only involved in large high-speed ferry design...nothing like the little clunkers that ferry a few vehicles here and there. People are generally just willfully ignorant. Can't fix that. And they show up at hearings. And they speak.
tipsymcgee
Active Member
I often think a ferry makes much more sense than another bridge span, but who knows, doubt it really gets done. I don't see why to the northern neck area, though. Much more sense to connect the hugeness that Pax has become with Somerset County, the poorest county in Maryland, and the Wallops/Chincoteague area, along with a much better road at Route 13 than another bridge span from Lusby to Church Creek area. I'm sure all spots have road and infrastructure issues. Probably not a reality either way, but every spot would have issues on one side or the other, or both, plus both sides of NIMBY and county politics to deal with.
Support for a new ferry terminal was OK in Crisfield, for sure. I don't recall hearing much about the Reedville area. But opposition was quite evident against a St. Mary's terminus.
In any event, the volume of traffic any ferry system can carry is actually pretty small in the overall scheme of things, and that is partly why cost per ton-mile are so high. Almost none of the ferry options we've studied over the years for those routes would have been even close to self-sustaining.
Hessian
Well-Known Member
Gilligan....Wife & I took a short vacation over in Crisfield,...3 years ago (normal era) Downtown is TRYING to keep some economics going, but the surrounding area is blighted with economic decline. Their golden seafood days long vanished.
A ferry terminus is already there because they make daily runs out to the islands (WORTH A DAY TRIP)
If St Marys were to connect there...at a reasonable price...I would think that both would benefit (and then Maryland would raise taxes...right?)
A ferry terminus is already there because they make daily runs out to the islands (WORTH A DAY TRIP)
If St Marys were to connect there...at a reasonable price...I would think that both would benefit (and then Maryland would raise taxes...right?)