Study of possible ferry system to be released in July
Passenger boats could go up and down the coast, cross the Chesapeake Bay
A study evaluating the possibility of bringing a Chesapeake Bay passenger ferry back to Anne Arundel County and other waterfront jurisdictions in Maryland is moving forward, with a report containing the study’s findings due to be released this summer.
Data analysis, which will be part of the report released in July, is set to produce ferry ridership estimates, vessel recommendations and costs, capital cost requirements for terminals and operating and maintenance costs, according to Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, a member of the five-county consortium supporting the study. Governments from Calvert, St. Mary’s, Somerset and Queen Anne’s counties are part of the consortium, too.
The feasibility study, conducted by Cambridge Systematics, aims to evaluate the potential effects developing a new ferry system could have on boosting tourism, increasing access to the bay and providing new water transportation connectivity across the region. The results could also show that a ferry system isn’t practicable.
“We are committed to looking for the best outcome and exploring options, but we also know this may be the first of many steps, or the very last step,” said Kristen Pironis, executive director of Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County.
The viability of a passenger ferry network has been under study for well over a year.
In late 2022, the consortium was awarded a $125,000 grant by the U.S. Commerce Department for the feasibility study. Consortium members, along with Anne Arundel County and the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, matched the funds. Last January, the consortium began accepting proposals for the study, which kicked off in March.
The study will provide data on the financial and operational viability of a ferry network, as well as a cost-benefit and economic impact analysis. A ferry ridership survey from the consortium has also sought perspectives from stakeholders, with over 100 responses collected, according to Brandi McKeating, assistant director of communications at Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County. Public comments from social media will be reviewed, as well.
A map revealing the proposed ferry system’s locations and routes along the bay was released publicly in February. Though 21 potential host communities were identified, only 13 of those sites are included in the baseline network, with phased expansion arriving later.
One proposed route could offer ferry service between Baltimore and Annapolis. Another would start in Annapolis and head south, stopping in Chesapeake Beach and Solomons Island in Calvert County before heading to Crisfield on the Eastern Shore. A longer route would begin in Baltimore and cross the bay to Rock Hall, making more stops at Kent Narrows, St. Michaels and Matapeake before crossing back to Annapolis.
The potential ferry network could stimulate economic growth opportunities, particularly in Maryland’s rural communities. Additional routes would connect smaller waterfront towns in Southern Maryland to the Eastern Shore.
Decades ago, ferries regularly journeyed across the bay. In 1919, the Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry crossed the waterway from Annapolis to Claiborne, near St. Michaels. However, the ferry service shut down when the first span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge opened to traffic in 1952.
Though the findings remain to be revealed, the collaboration between consortium members will continue beyond the feasibility study, with a focus on visitors’ experience across the Chesapeake Bay, Pironis said.
“The consortium approach and the differing perspectives and counties has certainly strengthened our relationships,” she said in a statement. “Most importantly, the feasibility study has been made better for including differing viewpoints, perspectives, experience, opinions and challenges.”