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Commuter ferry does trial runs on the Potomac River this week Date published: 5/7/2009
By KELLY HANNON ABOARD THE PROVINCETOWN III --The view from a commuter ferry gliding up the Potomac River couldn't be more different from the view from a car or van on Interstate 95.On the water, there are no bumper stickers. No rude gestures. No brake lights. But there are trees, water, birds, palatial homes overlooking the river, and the occasional fisherman in a motorboat. "The river offers a guarantee. You're not going to be stuck in traffic," said Michael DeRosier, a principal with engineering consultant Greenhorne & O'Mara. Having exhausted many of the travel options on land for commuters, Prince William County and the Virginia Department of Transportation have turned their attention to one of the last open areas in Northern Virginia--the Potomac. A $225,000 state grant is funding a study on whether a ferry could bring workers to stops at Fort Belvoir, Alexandria and the Washington Navy Yard--and possibly even Maryland. Southernmost stops could be at Marine Corps Base Quantico or Cherry Hill in Dumfries. On Tuesday, the Provincetown III made trial runs between ports on the Potomac and Occoquan rivers. Boardings and disembarkations on the 149-passenger boat were timed. Wave sensors recorded the ferry's wake, to see whether there would be any erosion along the shoreline. Speed will be paramount to the ferry's success or failure. PAST ATTEMPTS FAILED In the past, attempts to start a commuter ferry on the Potomac in the 1980s and late 1990s were scuttled because the trip was deemed too expensive and didn't attract enough commuters. A ferry has to compete favorably on time and convenience with carpooling, vanpooling, buses and Virginia Railway Express. But a fast, hassle-free trip to out-of-the-way destinations could draw riders. Project officials estimate a round-trip between the Occoquan River and the Washington Navy Yard could take 60 to 65 minutes, each way. "That's one of the big questions employees will have--how long will it take me to get to work on the ferry?" said passenger Juanita Green, travel demand management coordinator at Fort Belvoir. "They want to be on time, and they want to leave on time."
I've often wondered what the cost effectiveness of something like this would be:
http://www.griffonhovercraftusa.com/gh8000.htm
- Less wake than a catamaran
- 20 knots faster cruise
- Shallow water is not an issue
- Ice in winter is not an issue either
- You won't need a dock, only a ramp.
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