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Ferry to Columbia Point?

WBUR reports on calls for ferry service between Downtown and Columbia Point in Dorchester.

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Isn't that route served by the Red Line already?

Edit- read the article, I guess if they're just adding a stop to the Quincy route that makes sense. I don't know if investing in boats is better than just fixing the red line though.

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JFK UMass and Savin Hill are the nearest stops, but you'll quickly realize, especially in the winter, it is not as close as it looks and depending on where you are coming from at UMass, it is almost a mile to either stop from the JFK Library.

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Enough transportation band aids. Just move already

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100% BULLCRAP. JFK wanted his library to be accessible to the masses. The existing library epitomizes INACCESSIBILITY

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I work at one of the two BPS schools that share the Point with UMass Boston and the JFK library, and there are already regular shuttles in place (operated by UMass) that take students/tourists from the JFK/UMass red line station to the campus and the JFK library, and also currently service the UMass parking lot at the former Bayside Expo site (sadly those shuttles don’t stop at the elementary/middle schools on the route, as I would definitely opt to take them in the winter rather than watch them fly by as I walk down Mt. Vernon St in the cold!). Wouldn’t ferry service create some redundancy/serve as a solution to a transportation problem that UMass seems to have already solved with the shuttle buses?

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It's on the other side of the campus, across University Drive from Wheatley Hall.
In fact, it's not convenient for anybody but UMB faculty, staff, and students, who are already well served by the shuttle bus to the Red Line.

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On-line ferry stops are hard, because ferries generally work when they cut across a body of water cars have to drive around (Hull to Boston is 7 miles by ferry, 23 by car). In this case, it would only add a quick stop and a quarter mile of travel to make this extra stop, which is probably very worthwhile. It would also help with making the ferry have a bidirectional demand which could spur more service. Right now the ferry only runs every hour at rush hour and few hours at other times, visiting several different ports and routes. A dedicated boat could provide hourly service all day, two boats service every half hour. (Three every 20 minutes, four every 15, etc.) Given the Red Line capacity issues and that the two potential ferry sites are more than a mile from the Red Line, this would serve a useful purpose for Squantum, Marina Bay and Columbia Point.

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Good info.

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Look into all of the Columbia and Quincy water ferry failures. They come and go after their subsidies run out.

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One of those nuts actually pitched a Neponset River ferry if the Mattapan H-S Line is cut. Between the bus lobbyists and ferry lobbyists. Its hard to keep track of the puff

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Dock fell into sinkhole. Runs out of Hingham & Hull now.

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A Quincy dock fell into a sinkhole? Talk about your redundancies.

edit - because I'm sure someone will get bent out of shape: I'm calling Quincy that because it's in the floodplain, and in the future draught conditions followed by heavy rains can turn much of the city into a sinkhole. Also because Quincy is home to some of the most wretched white trash on the South Shore.

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A (seasonal) ferry has run between Squantum and Rowes Wharf & Seaport the last few years.

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The Fore River Shipyard MBTA ferry doesn't run any more. But this proposal is for the Marina Bay-Boston-Winthrop ferry. http://mbferry.com

It's still in business, but doesn't run in the winter.

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Anyone remember the recent Copley-Columbia shuttle? The bus that ran empty from Copley Square to Columbia Point? Columbia shuttles by sea and land have come and gone since the 70s.

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But can't they use the dock at the JFK library?

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...according to what I heard on the radio, it would cost 5 million to make it ferry-friendly.

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That's what they say when they don't want to do something.

The biggest issue I could see would be getting the ramp to be ADA-accessible at low tide. Which maybe means a longer ramp. That doesn't seem all that hard.

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A ramp cost would be pocket change compared to the money they’d need for dredging.

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Doesn't draw much water at all.

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How do you know the ferry they use will be a catamaran? I don’t see anything mentioned in the article and the ferry pictures in the M/V Massachusetts, not a Cat. It’s not about drawing water, it’s about being in the mud at half tide.

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oh, you’re talking about the ferry currently used for Squantum point. I was meant in general, regardless of the type of ferry, dredging will have to happen.

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The article is talking about the same pier. It is technically UMass property

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There's a UMass boating program. There are also a bunch of small time marinas around there. Wonder what this would mean, if anything, for those recreational users.

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What a great climate for a ferry

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There are numerous ferries already in operation.

They have these things called "cabins" where people sit out of the cold and rain and whatever.

You might try one some time.

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And yet, many of us persevere and make it work.

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You don't even have to make it work on a ferry. You go inside the heated cabin, and have a beverage from the bar.

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Ask Hingham commuters, they love it.

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I have three coworkers who are living in Hull and enjoying the "island life" - except they can drive off if they need to.

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when I lived in Rockland the P&B bus was faster but I would drive to hingham for the relaxing view with my first cup of coffee.

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...otherwise known as the Highway to Hull.

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What scenic or rail fan special public transport type trips are upcoming around the Eastern Massachusetts area?

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Per Dot Reporter "Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Boston this week say they received a $150,000 state grant to study what improvements would be needed to allow ferry service on the campus pier." So many of these studies involving enormous amounts of currency seem a bit unnecessary and over the top.

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Without knowing what they are doing or what it would cost.

Riiiiggghhhht.

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There a lot of things to study. At first I thought this would be the place where the research boat, but the Fallon Pier is at least on the residential side. If you are going to be transporting students to UMASS, I would point out that they can't afford to live at Rowe's Wharf. But a stop from Quincy would be great. Lynn is more affordable and its too bad we can't get that ferry going.

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The commuter ferry to Thompson Island for the Outward Bound program ran from that dock. Does it still?

I think this is a great idea. Inaccessibility cuts into tourism to the Commonwealth Museum, JFK Library, & Edward Kennedy Center. Also, Columbia Point has some good fishing and kiting!

If this had been in place when I worked on Columbia Point & lived in Dot, I would have used it to come downtown more often for dinner, movies, whatever; any trip downtown either required a slow bus ride or a minimum 2 leg trip.

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I'm all for it. As long as the T doesn't subsidize it. Once UMASS fixes their piers, I am sure private enterprise such as Boston Harbor Cruises will jump right in with shuttles and water taxi service.

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What about a Port Norfolk Ferry(sorry)? Is the Squantum Ferry still going?

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Where is Norfolk Point?

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Behind Sozios at the Neponset rotary.

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Norfolk Point isn’t a place.

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The Ferry from Marina Bay runs spring/ summer. Port Norfolk would need to be dredged, no pier for ferry and no parking for commuters.

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Don't people who live down there and need to commute to Boston work all year round?

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Form the https://www.mbferry.com/ website:

What’s the long-term plan?

​Permanent ferry service from Squantum Point Park! This program will be used to collect data, gauge interest, receive feedback and prepare for what is hoped to be a substantially larger operation and expanded schedule in coming years. Any permanent operation will require major investment in the pier and dock and will include the extension of Commander Shea Boulevard to the park to provide more efficient vehicle access.

The current ferry is owned by the town of Winthrop and only runs seasonally. I think part of adding Quincy (and perhaps Columbia Point) is to gauge demand in order to plan for year round service.

Seasonal use also has higher demand from non-commuters as well.

I know the Hull ferry used to get many non-commuters on board during the nicer weather. It's a great way to sight-see as well as to commute.

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Let the private sector explore this extravaganza .There are enough existing needs to be addressed before baking any more expansionist pies. If you want the plight of the T to be taken seriously , stop with the new spending, and fix what you got.

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The world is covered with ancient canals because water is the most efficient way of moving heavy weight. Unfortunately, most ferries are powered with diesel fuel. If we had Hybrid Ferries,the ferry system could expand with less pollution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_ferry

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Is located in Dorchester. If you ever go down the Neponset Trail You'll walk right past it.

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but lmo is right, norfolk point is not a place.

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