Rick Dimino

Boston’s Seaport District continues to see dramatic economic growth, new development and frequent announcements of companies locating or relocating to the area. The economic growth of the Seaport is one of the great success stories in the history of Boston.

However, mobility is not keeping pace with this growth, and we must address the transportation service needs of businesses, workers, residents and visitors of this region. A key option – water ferry service from the North Station area – could start next spring and help hundreds of workers get to the waterfront area faster and in a more reliable manner. The business community, public sector and area stakeholders are making water transportation an immediate priority and this potential opportunity deserves broad support.

Transportation to the Seaport is difficult for residents of many regions of Massachusetts. For workers traveling from north of Boston, the commute to this area is particularly a challenge. Public transportation options require a mix of transfers between the commuter rail, subway and bus service. This is why many workers will decide to walk more than one and a half miles from North Station to the waterfront. Larger companies in the Seaport offer shuttle bus services, but because of city traffic and congestion, it can sometimes take 30 to 45 minutes each way. Water ferry service from Lovejoy Wharf next to North Station could consistently run about half that time.

The need for improved transportation access to the thriving economy in the Seaport is obvious. Each workday in downtown Boston almost 2,500 people are picked up and dropped off by shuttle buses at North Station. Recently there were over 20 different private bus shuttles that transport workers between these two areas. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority continues to organize a consolidated shuttle service for businesses that not only supplies a high-quality service for workers, but also reduces the number of large buses and vehicles on Boston’s roads.

An Untapped Resource

The MCCA recently completed a water transportation business plan with the consulting firm STV that predicts that ferry service can be successful, if implemented carefully.

The idea involves a pilot program for a few hundred employees each day. This proof of concept service would be funded by private sector companies and would likely be limited to employees at specific companies. In future years, if there is a long-term commitment from businesses and the public sector, it could be expanded as a public-private partnership. Right now, the public sector is unable to advance ferries or expand public transportation services in general, thus positioning the private sector to collaborate and partner on this project.

The 2015 South Boston Waterfront Sustainable Transportation Plan specifically recommended ferry service between Fan Pier and North Station, due to the need for improved regional access to the jobs and activity in the Seaport district. The report called water transportation “an untapped resource to open up new channels of transit ridership to/from North Station, the downtown, and coastal communities to the north and south.”

With developments along the waterfront happening in Charlestown, Lynn and East Boston, the timing is right for expanded water transportation. Massachusetts is facing growing and prolonged vehicular traffic congestion throughout the entire metropolitan region. We are not going to be building new roads or bridges to support these additional commuters, workers and residents in this region, but water transportation can assist our transportation network. Most importantly, it can begin in a relatively short timeframe and with minimal upfront capital costs and bureaucratic hurdles.

And water ferries will help more than the commuters who ride them – they will help commuters who never use them. Removing shuttle buses and vans from the city streets would reduce congestion near North Station and major thruways like Congress Street, Atlantic Avenue and Seaport Boulevard. Getting buses off the roads would also reduce carbon emissions. Water transportation is also the most reliable mode in the MBTA’s system, while delivering the highest fare box recovery ratio for operating costs, meaning it requires the lowest public subsidy per rider to support the service. Boston Harbor Now is currently working with the MBTA and MassDOT on a Comprehensive Boston Harbor Study on future potential routes and ridership projections and their effort could lead to recommendations on future routes and overall use of Boston Harbor.

The water ferry pilot program from North Station to the Seaport would address one recommendation from the 2015 transportation master plan, but it would only be one step forward. A comprehensive strategy and focus is still necessary to support the near and long-term recommendations of the area’s transportation master plan to meet the full need and projected future growth in the South Boston Waterfront.

The Silver Line continues to be over-capacity during peak commuting times and we need more Silver Line buses. Vehicular traffic to the area should be addressed through public access to the South Boston bypass road that is currently limited to only-commercial vehicles. Advanced traffic signals should be added at important intersections. Finally, the entire commuter rail network that utilizes South Station is failing to meet the current demand. More must be done on these issues and more, but ferries are an immediate and obvious step in the right direction.

Rick Dimino is president and CEO of A Better City.