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Sixty-Two![[News]](titler_News.gif){kind=small}
![[Board President Comments on Ferry]](BenDouglasss.jpg)
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Rochester Finds It Is
Losing a Ferry Service ROCHESTER, Jan. 13 - Last month, Anthony Alleyne arrived at the Lake Ontario shore hoping to catch a high-speed ferry to Toronto, the last trip of the season. He thought he had more than enough time, but as soon as he walked into the terminal, he saw, to his dismay, the ferry pulling away without him.
Mr. Alleyne, 52, wasn't mistaken about the time; the ferry did leave a few minutes ahead of schedule. "I wanted to catch that ferry," he said. "It was the last one. It's sad."
Many Rochesterians now feel the same. On Tuesday, they learned that the popular but unprofitable ferry service would cease. Rochester's new mayor, Robert J. Duffy, declined to request an additional $11.5 million in financing for the 2006 season, saying it would be a poor investment given the city's continuing struggles with problems like joblessness and violent crime.
"There is not one iota of doubt it's the right decision," Mr. Duffy said Friday. "It was years away from breaking even."
Rochester embarked on the ferry project in hopes of becoming an international tourist destination and invigorating its economy. After years of negotiations, two entrepreneurs brought a gleaming $42 million catamaran to a new terminal at Rochester's lakefront in 2004. The ferry, which crossed Lake Ontario to Toronto in two and a half hours, was popular with local residents, who accounted for the majority of ticket sales. Many would even come to the shore just to watch it pull out.
The venture was fraught with problems from the beginning, though. The ferry came by sea from Australia, where it was built, but once it was in New York City, it banged into a dock. Later, its engines malfunctioned. The mishaps meant costly repairs and interrupted service.
The ferry service operated just the one catamaran, which had a capacity of 774 people and 238 cars. At a fare of about $30 a person and making two round trips a day, it was heavily used at its peak. Still, operating costs soared because of rising fuel prices and regulatory complications, and after 80 days the owners abruptly closed down, citing a $2 million debt.
The City of Rochester came to the rescue, buying the ferry at a bankruptcy auction in February. The mayor at the time, William A. Johnson Jr., called it the city's "phoenix, rising up."
Yet under city control, the dismal business results continued. The service lost $1 million a month for 10 months, city officials said, burning through a reserve fund. By late fall, the number of passengers dropped to several dozen per trip.
Mr. Duffy said his administration's projections showed the ferry would still lose money this year even if it doubled the number of riders, increased fares, and had no unexpected costs. Shutting it down "was clearly the route we had to go," he said. "It was not financially viable." He plans to sell the catamaran.
Untangling Rochester from the ferry service will not be easy, though. City and state officials have invested more than $63 million in the project, including construction of the terminal and the city's purchase of the ship. The city signed a 14-year contract with the Toronto Port Authority guaranteeing the authority at least $250,000 a year in docking fees, a commitment Rochester hopes can be canceled.
The vendors who opened restaurants and shops inside the terminal signed long leases. Mark Cammilleri, owner of Expresso Cafe, a coffee shop inside the terminal, has watched his business dwindle to a few customs agents, security guards and other workers. Once the ferry is sold, even they will be gone. "We need to develop the whole area," he said. "Rochester needs more than a ferry to do that."
Mr. Duffy plans to meet with the vendors soon to see what the city can do for them. He is willing to meet with other potential ferry operators, if they are willing to set up a private, preferably less ambitious service, along the same route. A hovercraft company has already publicly expressed interest.
Mr. Johnson, the former mayor, believes he has been portrayed as solely responsible for the ferry's failure. Before the city took control, federal lawmakers, international lenders and the City Council looked at the business plan and approved, he said. "Why is it when things go wrong, it's Bill Johnson and his folly?" he asked.
He said he was sure that with more time and money, the ferry would have thrived. "It set us apart, it was a source of pride," he said. "Many of us know it would have worked, and that is sad."
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