Ride a water taxi this year ?

[O3H]

When will Water Taxi become a reality ?

[pjbear05]

Interesting. There's been one working the New River in Fort Lauderdale for years.

[O3H]

Limited demonstrations have taken place in 2015
during the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
and the 2015 American Society of Association Executives conference.
The ferry operators gave 617 people rides in four days
and turned away 540 non-ASAE conference-goers.

A study completed in January 2015 for the
Detroit RiverFront Conservancy by
Detroit-based Freshwater Transit Solutions LLC
suggested phasing in water taxi service

Windsor would also like to join in the service
https://www.facebook.com/ArmsBumanla...5648345455872/

[bust]

The proposal deserves study. Especially the trolley. I just hope that's just a very ill-conceived map.

It would be absurd for it to snake around water's edge as illustrated. It needs a much more direct route so it's faster, and so it doesn't interfere with the ability to enjoy the shore. People can and should walk a little.

Just don't expect it to pay for itself by fares alone. Benefits of expanding access to Detroit's prime natural amenity include making Detroit a more attractive place to live and to visit, increasing safety, and just as importantly increasing people's sense of security when they visit those parts. It will increase real estate value and spur development. It will also reduce car traffic, free up land otherwise needed for parking spaces, and encourage cleaner modes of transportation. [[Much of Detroit may still be in denial, but that's the future.) In other words, the trolley will reduce other costs and bring other revenues not measurable at the farebox, but that are no less real.

But why not run the trolleys into Belle Isle? It seems obvious they should. It would greatly increase ridership to add the crown jewel of Detroit's waterfront to the route. Trolleys wouldn't even need dedicated lanes on the bridge, as there are no stoplights or cross streets to impede them -- they can share a lane with cars. Or, if for some reason it's important to separate them from car traffic, the bridge is wide enough to give up one of its car lanes. It's short enough the same lane could be shared by trolleys serving both directions.

I'm less sure about the water taxi [[which from now on I'm going to call a ferry), especially if there's also trolley service running basically the same route.

Ferries have sometimes been part of my commute in New York. Once on the boat it feels relaxing and uplifting like a mini-vacation. Something about the water, and escaping the city for a few minutes. But on a cold day waiting for the ferry gets old, and Detroit is colder. Maybe seasonal service would make sense. Ridership will be much higher in warm weather.

Meanwhile, NYC's ferries serve a much bigger and denser population, and connect locations unconnected by other options. They also don't make so many stops so close to each other. Another absurdity is having three ferry stops along the short distance from Cobo Hall to the Ren Cen. They need to eliminate at least one of those. Or maybe they don't intend the same boat to serve all three locations, but that's impossible to discern from the map. And then the service from any one of them would be discouragingly infrequent. By far the most time wasted on a ferry is at the dock. Worst is someone else's dock. Walk people, walk!

[O3H]

Perhaps people forgot there is another country across the river,
which has a casino, shopping, and recreational activities as well.
Windsor Ontario Canada will most likely beat Detroit to have service first.

I know the New York area well, lived out there for a decade.
The catch , they actually BUILT something, while Detroit sits on its ass.
Being able to go from Long Island to Connecticut across the water, was great.
I lived in NJ, NY and Connecticut - travelled a lot - enjoyed it.

[Gistok]

Perhaps people forgot there is another country across the river,
which has a casino, shopping, and recreational activities as well.
Windsor Ontario Canada will most likely beat Detroit to have service first.

I know the New York area well, lived out there for a decade.
The catch , they actually BUILT something, while Detroit sits on its ass.
Being able to go from Long Island to Connecticut across the water, was great.
I lived in NJ, NY and Connecticut - travelled a lot - enjoyed it.

Your comparisons between Long Island and Connecticut to Detroit are kinda pointless. Maybe they should build a bridge or tunnel to catch up on Detroit.... we already have cross river connectivity... whereas the distance is too great to bridge or tunnel Long Island Sound... so ferry service is their only option.

[O3H]

What is pointless is Detroit simply not using the water to its advantage

[Honky Tonk]

"I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid..."

[401don]

Perhaps people forgot there is another country across the river,
which has a casino, shopping, and recreational activities as well.
Windsor Ontario Canada will most likely beat Detroit to have service first.

I know the New York area well, lived out there for a decade.
The catch , they actually BUILT something, while Detroit sits on its ass.
Being able to go from Long Island to Connecticut across the water, was great.
I lived in NJ, NY and Connecticut - travelled a lot - enjoyed it.

We've had this discussion many times. No chance they are going to spend the money for separate Customs & Immigration booths for such a small service.

[O3H]

Folks in Windsor pushing hard for a water taxi

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155648345455872

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/winds...JZ3f_sevgjz8B8

[401don]

Folks in Windsor pushing hard for a water taxi

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155648345455872

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/winds...JZ3f_sevgjz8B8

It's not a problem to have separate Detroit and Windsor taxi's but this guy in the CBC interview lists Belle Isle among the stops. I would like to know how he figures to pull that off.

[stasu1213]

It's not a problem to have separate Detroit and Windsor taxi's but this guy in the CBC interview lists Belle Isle among the stops. I would like to know how he figures to pull that off.

Especially with backward thinking planners and elected officials in Detroit. Mary Sheffield had posted that she prefers that any business that want to open in Detroit should hire 51% from Detroit

[O3H]

Detroit does have Ferry service

http://www.truckferry.com/

http://www.truckferry.com/fees.html

The CUSTOMS hurdle has been overcome - it already works !!!

[401don]

Detroit does have Ferry service

http://www.truckferry.com/

http://www.truckferry.com/fees.html

The CUSTOMS hurdle has been overcome - it already works !!!

apples & oranges

[O3H]

Not at all.

An entity exists today, now, present day, that operates on the water,
to transport a PickUp or Van, across the river, to a foreign country.





The precedent has already been established.

United States and Canada Customs are located
at each ferry terminal for immediate
on-site clearance of people and cargo.

The Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry operation is considered
an extension of the highway
- standard land border crossing requirements
and procedures are applicable.

NEXUS/Marine exists already. Water Taxi could easily occur.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/se...itime-eng.html

Example : - https://goo.gl/maps/fVP5RXbcsimN6Dys7

The BASF Dock over by Senator Street Lasalle ON [[Fighting Island)

NEXUS/Marine [[NEXUS/MARINE)
CANPASS/Private Boat [[CAN/PB)
Telephone Reporting Site/Marine [[TRS/M)

[pocketchange]

Seems like if it will happen [[US Side anyways) Diamond Jack would be the one to do it. Utilize the boats the rest of the week and add some hop on-hop off stops in conjunction with their 2x day tours.

[stasu1213]

I think that if everyone is on board with this concept then services will begin for the water taxi. Detroit unfortunately, can’t even put good use to the almost new Port Authority building that is next to the RenCen. I thought that small cruise ships and the like was to dock at that port and passenger unboarding to hang out in Detroit. Again, the asbackwards way of doing business in Detroit hinder the use of it’s own waterways. Other cities across the country and all over the world that have waterways put good use to their waterways.

[GPCharles]

Annapolis, MD has water taxis. They are a great way to get around.

[Luke09]

This seems like an excursion for tourist or visitors from the suburbs. I can' imagine anyone using this on a daily basis for commuting purposes. Most would just drive, bus or bike down Jefferson. Hope the city doesn't invest in this other than a feasibility study, and then issue a license to a private entity with service quality checkpoints.

[O3H]

Other parts of the world have water taxis, ferries, etc.

https://www.cedarpoint.com/play/fun-...he-jet-express

Jet over to the Lake Erie's finest islands, Kelleys Island and Put-in-Bay
for a day aboard The Jet Express !
Passengers will enjoy the scenic views of the lake
and experience all the islands have to offer.

https://www.adrenaline.com/speed-boat-adventures/

[mtburb]

Other parts of the world have water taxis, ferries, etc.

https://www.cedarpoint.com/play/fun-...he-jet-express

Jet over to the Lake Erie's finest islands, Kelleys Island and Put-in-Bay
for a day aboard The Jet Express !
Passengers will enjoy the scenic views of the lake
and experience all the islands have to offer.

https://www.adrenaline.com/speed-boat-adventures/

I'm not sure who operates it, but there's also a ferry connecting Cedar Point to Peele Island and a ferry connecting Leamington to Peele Island. If they accept vehicles, at least there's a shortcut to Cedar Point and points east without having to go through Toledo.

[O3H]

Anyone take good hard look at the USA map - we have water on 3 sides !
Water is a big part of America and water taxis are not a fluke.

https://mobilitylab.org/2018/06/22/water-taxis/