This is a really interesting article. We took ferries when we visited Istanbul and Lisbon. They offer a convenient and scenic form of transit.
I really wish we had ferry service in DC. There are several neighborhoods now along the water in the DC region (Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront, Buzzard Point, the Wharf, Georgetown, Old Town, National airport, National Harbor, and Anacostia) which could be served by transit. Additionally, there is an ongoing study for ferry service from Woodbridge, VA, to Arlington and DC.
I went to an exhibit about sustainability at the Swedish embassy in February and there is a Swedish company (
https://candela.com/p-12-shuttle/) that is developing an electric ferry that produces very little or no wake, which would allow much greater speeds in near-shore waterways. Additionally, I think the dramatic growth in e-bikes and scooters will help reduce the last-mile challenges of ferry transit.
Skip the Traffic: Commuters Turn to Ferries to Get Around
Ferry ridership took a hit during the pandemic. But new terminals, additional routes and faster, smaller boats are driving a new era of water transportation and development.
By Linda Baker
April 8, 2024
New York Times
Treasure Island in San Francisco. The increasing interest in water transit has become a catalyst for development. Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times
"As remote work reshapes the way people live and travel around cities, Americans are taking to the waterways not only as part of their commute but also as part of their daily lives.
Some coastal cities are seeing ferry ridership bounce back after a decline during the pandemic, and growing interest in water transit is spurring both new types of ferry services and waterfront development.
In Bremerton, Wash., a fast-growing Seattle suburb on Puget Sound, a $141 million development opened less than 100 yards from a high-speed passenger ferry that travels to downtown Seattle in 30 minutes; its older car ferry service takes an hour. Carteret, N.J., is launching a ferry service to Manhattan, adjacent to a waterfront film and television production complex. Ferry service is also central to the development of a new community on a former naval base off San Francisco..."
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/08/b...velopment.html
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