Commuter ferry plans move forward, but funding questions linger
By: David Sherfinski
Examiner Staff Writer
September 17, 2009
Prince William County officials have endorsed moving forward with plans for a commuter ferry from Woodbridge to the District, but expressed concern about demand and funding sources for the project.
Estimated costs for items such as buying boats and pedestrian improvements are $29.8 million, said Cody Smith of the consulting firm Greenhorne & O'Mara, which conducted a feasibility study.
The estimated annual operating costs for the Woodbridge-to-Anacostia service would be about $3.9 million, with an average round-trip fare of $11.
The trip from Woodbridge to the Anacostia waterfront would take about an hour, the study said. It recommended a craft with an average cruising speed of 34 miles per hour and a passenger capacity of 99 people.
Prince William Supervisor Frank Principi, D-Woodbridge, said the purpose of the ferry is not to compete with Virginia Railway Express commuter trains or Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission buses, but to provide another option for commuters.
PRTC Director Al Harf said he was "full of anticipation" and "eager to see this idea fully fleshed out."
"There may be markets that are already [fully] saturated with people using VRE and PRTC," but other markets may no be, Harf said.
A major purpose of the ferry would be to take current drivers off the road, he said.
The board has directed staff to pursue funding for a more detailed market analysis to gauge local demand for the ferry. Smith said the project would need public funding, as the study estimated that fare revenue would bring in just under half of the annual operating cost.
Supervisor Marty Nohe, R-Coles, said he was a "little concerned" because of the county's funding restraints.
"If we find out that it works, it's great -- I think we've got a lot of opportunities here," he said. He added, though, that he didn't want to do anything that would hinder the success of VRE.
