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18 MAY 2004
The story continues to unfold...
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Tuesday
May 18, 2004
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Hey T.O.... everybody get down to the foot of Cherry Street and gawk at the big boat? No?
Oh. Well, just head up to Tobermory and catch the Chi-Cheemaun. Car and passenger ferries aren't hard to find.
But what's this? "C.A.T.S. marketing officer, Eugene Zakreski... (says).. if the ferry doesn't work out here in Rochester, it may be moved elsewhere."
"C.A.T.S. CEO Domenic Delucia... says the ferry will always have a Rochester-based route."
OK students, let's take a look at this shall we?
On the one hand, the CATS marketing officer says if The Breeze flops in Rochester, it'll be moved elsewhere. (1) Does he mean, "the destination from Rochester could be elsewhere" (ie, Toronto's out and _____ is in"? - Or - (2) "Rochester's out. Period"?
On the other hand, the CATS CEO definitively reassures jittery locals that The Breeze will always have Rochester as a destination.
Corporate in-house double-speak. Spin elevated to its highest order.
All very newsworthy, of course, and the gullible drones take it all in. "They know more than I do". "What do I know? they're the experts". "Companies don't spend that sort of money and fail". (Wanna bet, big shot?)
Now here's a very difficult concept to handle... please pay very close attention as the following rationale is EXTREMELY complex:
"If the Fast Ferry service can't make a go with the largest Canadian city as one of it's ports, how is it supposed to be any more profitable with anyplace less"?
OK. Please take a break as this is a VERY convoluted question. Millions are at stake here and these are the types of brain-spraining exercises the Suits get paid the big bucks to sort out.
So naturally, we the buying public are far too ignorant to be able to comprehend such a totally implausible scenario.
Heh-heh. Suits: 0 The Common Buying Public : 1 .
Sayyyy... HERE'S a thought! Why don't we just re-institute the old Rochester to Coborg route?? You know; the one that used to be used to haul coal across the lake... and then took on paying passengers? Yeah! THAT ought to support a multimillion and highly specialized service. You only need a multimillion dollar, highly specialized docking facility at the other end.
Coborg? Nope, they haven't got the facilities. Kingston? Nope? Oshawa? Belleville? No and no.
And is it likely some ferry service which can't make a go of it in Toronto is going to persuade some smaller community to ante up Big Bucks (via Big Tax Increases) for the esteemed honour of having a dedicated service to Nowhere NY?
"Ohhh Merle.... we're in a pickle here..."
Well, yes. Oh. One more thing you provincial hicks in suits might not know from spending so much time in the Rochester area. (Oh, excuse me... there WAS that embarrassing media display where Rochesterians were imported to Toronto to artificially swell the dwindling ranks waiting for The Breeze to arrive.)
You guys DO know that the residents of the proposed Pennsylvania - Port Dover Norfolk County fast ferry route are fairly opposed to the prospect of having to completely dredge the harbour at Port Dover? Which means there's actually some residents who're doing some independent thinking instead of merely parroting the cheerleaders' tired rhetoric.
And they may very well save themselves from dumping millions of dollars into a project which has dubious benefits... and an even shakier financial outlook.
But that remains to be seen, doesn't it?
Just more corporate twits. Should be fun.
20 MAY 2004
Well???
Let's get this show on the road, shall we?
The Breeze is already built... and patched up already. How many wrinkles need to be ironed out before the thing shoves off for its maiden voyage?
Is there a conflicting event the Good 'Ol Boys and Suits have to work around? The elitist LPGA won't be here for more than a month... so it can't be that. That's always a big 'Ol Boy Network extravaganza, even with the background chorus of protesters who're kept discretely in drainage ditches so as not to offend the golf aficionados and other Big Spenders.
Wouldn't want those pesky social activists grating the nerves of spectators with trivial and annoying references to the growing problem of the poor in the Rochester area.
Maybe a new Place To See And Be Seen hasn't been found to replace the defunct watering hole known as Edward's in downtown... an insufferably obnoxious stage by which name-droppers schmoozed. Need a signature boîte to better serve the GTA tourist who just can't seem to get into the local legend of the Garbage Plate.
Imagine traveling all the way from Toronto and not being able to say, "I dined on The Garbage Plate at Nick Tahou's". Almost seems like a wasted trip.
(Oh, and for those who want to know: they don't call it The Garbage Plate for nothing. Beans, franks and... well, if one drops a few hundred in a few drinks at some chic-chic bar in the virtually vacant High Falls area, the slurry and slop of The Garbage Plate won't make too much difference anyway. One would be hard-pressed to find a more truly disgusting offering at a 'restaurant'... unless the ground viscera of McDonald's had gone green. )
No, something's afoot here. The public may get the carefully scripted Media Reports from CATS but you can bet your loonie there's plenty of posturing and strategizing going on behind closed doors. Sure, there's a lot of details which need to be worked out as well as customizing the Fast Behemoth with fuzzy dice and assorted other diversions designed to suck out more money from the passengers.
T-shirts? Check. Glossy postcards and other blasts of colourful tourist crap? Check. Cheesy mugs, shot glasses and the requisite coffee mug for the car? Check. The obligatory baseball hats to hide the greying balding pate of the Good 'Ol Boy set? Trashy molded plastic trinkets for the kids? Check, check.
There's even talking about getting a special dispensation to allow VLT's on board so that along with emptying the wallet on passage, souvenirs, food and drinks, the feckless passenger can toss even more money in Lady Luck's -- and CATS' -- laps. On the voyage over AND back. Nice setup for CATS, no?
Well, maybe. See, if you grab some consulting firm's wildly overly optimistic prediction of the estimated numbers of passengers... and hold onto those numbers REAL tight (because they're the sort of figures you WANT to see), those estimated numbers turn into The Holy Grail... not to be questioned, not to be altered and certainly not to proven wrong if you want to keep your job.
And with those estimated numbers firmly under one's arm, it's easy to extrapolate how much will be raked in above the basic cost of the fare from sales of Fast Crap. Or how much the cut from the VLT's will be. Or how much profit is made by X number of those estimated numbers who'll buy an over-the-top priced drink.
Giddy with the figures of revenue for the whole project (and sure as hell not about to factor in any realist estimations... "geez - we'll lose investors by the score if we can't show a shimmering Powerpoint presentation with heady profit margins") the CATS management team struts about with impressive figures which are based on some consulting firm's wildly overly optimistic prediction of the estimated numbers of passengers.
In the InfoTech world, that's called GIGO... Garbage In, Garbage Out. Crap analysis = Crap Data. Crap data = Crap Business Model. Crap Business Model = No Go Ferry.
"Our surveys said...". That's an automatic red flag. WHERE were the surveys taken? What's the ratio of the number of surveys compared to the number of estimated passengers?
A survey taker strolling around a West Palm Beach shopping area might yield some dramatically different results than one who ask the same questions in South Central Los Angeles. A suburban mall holds more 'desirable' clients... who're able to able to (1) travel to and from Toronto and (2) have the option of method of travel... than a rural strip mall.
No problem there as long as this specific demographic is the capable and willing to support the entire business venture. Straying too far from this targeted group can yield very unpredictable results. As in not having the 'assumed' or 'estimated' numbers of passengers.
Put another way; if I opened a cavier shop based on my surveys compiled from asking patrons of a trendy (READ: Expensive) retail shopping area.... and expected the general population would tow the line, follow suit and flock in to my shop buying cases of cavier, should I blame the non-patrons for my faulty business model?
Should I blame the local newspaper for poo-pooing my shop and laughing at the idea of a specialty store selling nice, but unnecessary products?
Does the fault lie with those who're able to simply drop down to their corner store and buy cavier along with other readily available items... or those who see no reason to make a special trip specifically to my store?
Let the Fast Ferry cheerleaders and organizers assign blame where blame is due when the project goes belly up.
It is, after all, their own ignorance which will have led to its demise.
And accepting and admitting one has erred in their judgment is not only noble, it's mandatory when tens of millions of dollars are involved.
10 JUNE 2004
On June 17, 2004 - exactly one week from today - The Breeze ostensibly makes its maiden voyage loaded with loaded Rotarians who've purchased advance sale tickets to commemorate the party barge's inaugural trip to GTA.
Well, that's the plan anyway.
As with pretty much every aspect of this flight of fancy, there's the omnipresent fly in the ointment and hushed rumours of some sort of 'Issue' with the transfer of ownership from the Ferry's manufacturer to the CATS organization are being bandied about in River City.
Oh, and did we mention there needs to be training of staff at Toronto? And a snag imposed by the U.S. Coast Guard regarding having a non-CATS personnel on board when the ferry is under way? And some more training in the Rochester end of the route? And a bit of a laundry list of piddling things to deal with regarding the ship itself which must be resolved before the initial shove off?
All these 'little' things need to be sorted out within a week. Or the local Rotarians will be forced to kill the kegs on shore instead of on the lake.
Can CATS pull this off in less than seven days? Maybe; maybe not. We'll know in a week.
But let's take a look at a few of the more obvious details.
CATS, HELLLOOO??? Has your follically-challenged CEO, Dominick Delucia, ever heard of something called a 'Business Plan'? You know... that absurd thing which sets goals and establishes deadlines which must be adhered to in order to increase the chances of success?
Or is Delucia one of these business mavericks who rely on their own myopic view and a 'whatever-it-takes' approach to spending borrowed money to shove the project to some semblance of completion?
You guys have used up your last excuse and it's crunch time. No more excuses. No more 'reasons'. No more delays.
Either The Breeze shoves off... on time... with every wrinkle ironed out... on June 17, 2004.... or your credibility will be gone with a single flush. This is it. We've had it. Bumbling, ineptness (crashing into a dock at one of the best port facilities in the world??), "we didn't know's", "it's beyond our control's".... it's all behind you. From June 17 onward, either you make this venture shine and work flawlessly... or you might as well start looking around for another use for The Breeze. The public's been wound up and let down, re-wound and let down and is very close to saying, "to hell with the damn thing". It's your call and the pressure's on.
The maiden voyage might be sold out, but does CATS really think this single 3-hour voyage is anything to base any sort of believable prediction on? Nobody's THAT stupid to buy into the idea The Breeze is a 'smashing success' based on a bunch of pressured local business leaders swilling their way to T.O... are they?
(And anybody who thinks there hasn't been a significant internal peer pressure to buy maiden voyage tickets knows nothing about how the Good 'Ol Boy Network works here in Smugtown USA. You know - 'Be a team player' and all that nauseating corporate BS. Rotary Clubs are nothing if not predictable.)
So Dom, Howard and the rest of the suits at CATS... this is it. Put up or shut up. We've been listening to your hyperbole for a few years now and it's time to see if you know what you're doing.
And by all indicators so far, clearly you guys have been more style than substance.
Thursday, June 17, 2004. That's the final deadline. Either that tub hits the waves - or your credibility... and quite probably, the venture - will be sinking faster than you can say, "But...". Both the public and the media are sharpening the skewers. Slap on an Evinrude if you have to, but that barge better be moving next Thursday.
Not one day later. And not one more excuse further.
17 JUNE 2004
Hey, it's Only Money...
To no one's surprise, the $42 million party barge shoved off and made the trip, as they say here... "all the way to Toronto". Ninety minute late due to a power failure in the city at this end, The Breeze made the trip in some 2 hours and 15 minutes.
It's amazing how 400 "$500-a-ticket" passengers can wax poetically and gush unabashedly about the service. Hell... at $500 a pop, they'd BETTER have a good time. "It's for charity". Isn't THAT special?
At the Toronto end, smart Canadians are recognizing they hold the trump cards and are squeezing CATS over who's going to pay for the Customs personnel at the Canadian dock. Makes sense. Actually, it makes perfect sense.
All
along, Toronto stands to lose N-O-T-H-I-N-G if the Fast Ferry deal
goes belly up. Like... who cares, right? The tourists will
STILL keep flooding Toronto even if The Breeze is turned into scrap; they'll
just use the same method of arrival from Rochester since the first bridges
crossed the Niagara; either by train or by car.
Two hours and 15 minutes? Plus an hour and a half wait to get moving? Sheesh... in three hours 45 minutes, I could have driven to Toronto, had time for a back bacon sandwich AND saved myself some $450. But what's money, right?
Well, evidently CATS is whining pretty loudly about money... upwards of some $2 million a year in Customs fees which the shrewd Toronto folks have reasoned CATS should have to pay since it's their party they're throwing with a sleek new tub.
S'matter Delucia? Puts a damper on the old Return On Investment? Like somebody didn't bother doing their homework until the last minute... then cries "Foul" when existing guidelines have been ignored? Like some inept bungling causes the price of a ticket for WALK ON's to be bumped up by $4 from the Rochester side (strangely... no one mentioned how much more a DRIVE ON will cost... don't want to curdle the cream by letting folks know the fare has just jumped even before the first regular passenger service has begun). But what's money, right?
And even more telling is the increase for the fare from Toronto to Rochester will be bumped by a heart-stopping one dollar. Couldn't be due to the desperate need to attract the Canadian passengers, could it? I mean, if the fare were to jump by $4 for the North- South run, Canadians might hesitate for a fraction of a second. And that's not good. And if the North-South fare for DRIVE ON's were to jump significantly... that would be even worse for business.
Oh... and this bit of a ruckus over who pays for the Canadian Customs has only been resolved temporarily. As in, "We'll give a temporary reprieve... just long enough to allow the service to get off the ground and gain advance sales. Then we'll squeeze the grapes and put the CATS management on the hot seat; if they balk, we'll pull out the temporary ramps and CATS can go fishing for another destination. Or they can explain to the thousands of pre-sales why they have to refund the fares... earning a boatload of ill-will from an already jaded public".
You'd think some 'businessman' from Avon NY could recognize he's dealing with world-class business people in a world-class city and not try to play hardball with people whose business acumen makes HIS backwater tactics look like Merle haggling over the price of seed at the local Agway. In a word: Duh.
Let's not forget Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson's veiled threat of, "the Canadians won't risk an international embarrassment by delaying the start of the service". Wrong again, farmboys. It's not "the Canadians" who risk embarrassment. Remember: (1) "the Canadians" have nothing to lose and (2) "the Canadians" hold all the trump cards. If there's any 'embarrassment' to be dished out, it will most certainly be on the whiz-kids of CATS who've acted like Spanky and Our Gang throwing one of their famous hackneyed backyard productions.
Listen up, you jerkwater hicks of Upstate New York. How many times do you have to be told this: Toronto couldn't care less whether the Fast Ferry survives or not. Toronto stands to lose N-O-T-H-I-N-G ... the 767's will STILL disgorge international passengers and tourists at Pearson whether there's a gleaming boat at the foot of Cherry Street or not. Union Station will STILL churn out passengers and tourists from the VIA trains whether or not there's a redundant service to Rochester or not.
And the Gardiner will STILL be backed up by the out of province cars and SUV's piling into downtown whether or not some Lake Ontario ferry is present or not. Planes, trains and automobiles.... they'll STILL arrive by the thousands on a daily basis.
So much for power in the art of the deal. So much for room to bargain.
Meanwhile, the pompous and smug nature of the southern terminus has the locals supremely confident their little burg holds such an array of attractions, the new Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store at the Waterloo Premium Outlet mall FORTY MILES away is already envisioning waves of Ferry-traveling Canadians will flock like lemmings for a chance to pay the premium exchange rate in a store which is scheduled to open this November at the new Vaughan Mills in Vaughan in suburban Toronto (Link it, baby). And no Customs or duties to have to deal with either.
As Homer Simpson would say: "DOH!"
Once again, the myopic, navel-gazing provincialism of the Rochester area rears it's naive head.
Once again, the local Good 'Ol Boy network douses itself with self-adulation and gross assumptions.
And once again... as in the financial debacles known as the Blue Cross Arena, the Frontier Field, the High Falls Entertainment District, and yet ANOTHER seasonal sports mecca which will collect snow but no revenue... the local community and business leaders miss the mark.
Hey, Governor Pataki... you keeping track of all this money down the toilet? Congresswoman Louise Slaughter... how many ill-fated Rochester ventures are you going to go to bat for before saying, "you've spent all your allowance... now either you pay for it yourselves or it doesn't get built"?
And you whiny Rochester residents whimpering over a $7 million Rochester School budget cut... how is it you sit back and act like a bunch of spineless jellyfish as grant after loan after tax dollar is shoved freely to these multi-multi million dollar projects? Doesn't it seem that education is (should?) take precedence over a $30 million sports project which caters to a fraction of the population when compared to the future of children whose drop-out rates are staggering enough as it is?
The Rotarians are using part of the proceeds of today's booze cruise to Toronto to fund the School Nurse program in the schools? How nice; they receive a charitable contribution tax credited black-tie party at $500 a ticket and moan incessantly about a $300 a year property tax increase which would fund a small army of nurses if diverted to the schools.
But it's only money, right?
Nope. I'm not going to join in the chorus. I'm not going to take back ANY of the three years of predictions right here on this website (August 08, 2001 was the beginning of this entire You've-Gotta-Be-Kidding-Me rant).
I'm not even going to coo excitedly along with the local cheerleaders who seem to feel this project is some sort of panacea to the economic woes of this area.
But I WILL keep dishing the dirt.
And from the feedback I've received from the locals of this area, I'm far from alone in my belief the Breeze is going to fly, flounder then flop.
WITHIN TWO YEARS OF TODAY - JUNE 18, 2004.
Oh, and a note to Mayor David Miller: listen to your city council. They've got a better grip on the pulse of the GTA than some pompous twits with great suits and bad haircuts. Forest Hill and Rosedale may be delightful, but they're not going to be able to support a project of this magnitude alone, so hold off on bids for architects on a permanent ferry terminal.
Geez... the entire Sponsorship Scandal was $100 million. There's more than that tied up in just some fast ferry project crossing Lake Ontario.
Talk about perspective.
Stay tuned. The fun's just started.
18 JUNE 2004
"Uhhh... we planned it that way..."
Friday morning.
After last night's media saturation declaring, "the public maiden voyage is SOLD OUT!!", The Breeze (ten minutes late) shoves off from the Port of Rochester jammed packed with...
Sixty (60) passengers.
And (surprise, surprise) even less fanfare than the glitzy pretentious Rotarian booze cruise. Looks like the public... you know, all those 'little people' who're being depended upon to keep this thing financially afloat... was less than enchanted with frantic phone calls from CATS last night pleading for passengers in order to save face.
Seems the original ticket holders for the public maiden voyage, after being told there 'might' be a wrinkle with landing at Toronto due to the ongoing flap about who's going to pay Customs charges, had simply gone ahead and made other plans rather than risk a last minute cancellation... again.
Out of the several hundred who purchased the public maiden voyage tickets, CATS was only able to convince SIXTY people the show was actually going to go on.
The local cable news channel video clips of these lonely 60 passengers on a five-story ship told it all; totally perplexed and somewhat speechless travelers. And as promised, the fares have jumped even before the first public maiden voyage: A 'surcharge' has been added to ostensibly cover the Customs costs the bungling CATS people seemed to overlook until the last moment.
A round-trip (Return) adult Walk-On from Rochester has been bumped up US$ 7 to US$ 63.00.
And unlike the fat cats of the Rotarian maiden launch, presumably the Walk-On's would like to see more of their destination than some tired former cargo dock. Yonge and Front Streets are more than two miles away by foot. Bring your Adidas or Canadian cash.
Cha-ching.
Now a couple of postcards and the obligatory Hard Rock Toronto tee-shirt might not weigh down the intrepid walk-on passenger, but add a hearty lunch and some fine (and inexpensive) bed linens and it gets bulky to wander around in downtown. Throw on a book or two... maybe a CD... oh and yeah... we can't get decent tins of British shortbread.... and isn't this trinket from Chinatown adorable... but it's a 'small' framed picture and not very heavy... well, soon you've got an image of American tourists resembling pack animals because they have no place to stash the loot while walking around.
Now walking the almost two miles BACK in time to catch the ride home requires another cab instead.
Cha-ching.
"Gee honey; next time we'll have to bring the car."
Cha-CHING.
"And this Eaton Centre parking is sooo convenient".
CHA-CHING... CHA-CHING... CHA_CHING... CHA-CHING.
"You know dear, if we simply DROVE to Toronto instead of taking the Ferry, we could save a ton of CHA-CHING."
Oh my. And you KNOW how word gets around. Soon the scuttlebutt is; Mary said it wasn't worth the additional money and didn't save any time and take the car and that's gets ridiculously expensive because parking in downtown Toronto during the day adds even more to the cost of taking the Ferry and what's the point of taking the Ferry.
The Gentle Reader is urged to return to Step One of this whole web section and review what was being written some three years ago.
No, it's not Native fortune telling. It's not Native logic.
And it's not even Native. Or logic.
It's this thing called 'Common Sense'. And try as they may to ignore it, CATS eventually runs into the reality of Common Sense which body-slams the corporate suits' so-called 'logic' each and every time.
Welcome to Reality, Peter Pan.
You're finding you never COULD actually fly.
23 JUNE 2004
Better Living Through Planned Parking.
Let's see here.
Totally swept up in delusions of rampant success of the Breeze, the city of Rochester has now decided the more than 300 surface parking spaces reserved for CATS are far too few with all the anticipated activities in the Charlotte area.
Hey, I KNOW... let's hit the Federal government up for a few million to build a $7-9 million, 1000-space, five or six-story ramp garage at the Port of Rochester to handle the mobs of people who'll unquestionably swarm Charlotte to listen to Wednesday night outdoor concerts. Never can get enough of a John Phillips Sousa march, eh?
CATS signs a 40-year lease with the city of Rochester for berthing space. A $30+ million facility and 'harbour improvements'. Now a multi-story ramp parking garage which is taxpayer funded (natch) even though the city of Rochester can't seem to find the same amount from anywhere to close a $7 million school budget gap.
Ever get the impression somebody is betting the farm that this thing is going to be a long term service? Maybe it will be.
And maybe it won't. And if it doesn't succeed, then what? What about all the cash dumped into infrastructure and 'improvements'? With Rochester area unemployment at levels not seen in decades, new sports venues, golf tournaments and gussied-up pretentious attractions with limited appeal seem to be a case of misplaced priorities.
Yes, an outdoor Wednesday evening concert next to the balmy breezes of Lake Ontario in October is sure to attract thousands. Ditto for November, December, January, February, March, April and the better part of May. With over eight months realistically (there's that word, again) out of commission for outdoor events at the Lake, that means over 2/3 of the year surface parking would suffice.
And OF COURSE the current $2/day, $5/overnight parking fee would remain the same; everybody knows ramp parking garage fees don't cost any more than surface parking, right? Well, somebody's got to pay for the thing... and believe it or not, there are always ongoing maintenance costs for any structure... particularly one which is right at the Lake and subject to the ever-so-smart practice of dumping salt on roads which erodes concrete, steel and asphalt. Check out any ramp garage older than ten years in any Rust Belt city and see if there are any signs of decay.
Passenger fares increase before the first public trip across the lake. The entire venture has barely given a hint of success and already the writing's on the wall for increased parking fees.
A 'unique travel experience'? Uh-huh. Passengers will be saying, "once is enough".
That's 'unique' alright.
On the other side of the Lake, prudent minds are sticking with a 'wait and see' attitude. The thing goes belly up, and it's just a matter of removing the temporary structures and sweeping the place down. No highly specialized facility to find a use for; no multi-story parking garage to try and fill to at least cover operating costs; no implosion of businesses in the immediate area which exist for ferry passengers.
Toronto didn't achieve its prominence by leaving its future to luck and happenstance; the methodical planning and intent of its development is plainly evident throughout the downtown and lakefront areas. Unlike Rochester's mentality of 'built it and they will come', Toronto's deep pockets have helped define a vision of a city for future generations based on fact... not fancy.
While it's painfully true (for Rochesterians anyway) that the two cities have absolutely nothing in common except for a lake, that's no reason for painfully dull (for Torontonians anyway) planning which offers little more than what other metropolitan areas have cobbled together.
Another gentrified 'entertainment district'? Yawn.
Another cutesy pseudo-'harbourfront'. BOR-ing.
Yet MORE specialized museums? Show me a town WITHOUT some sort of 'specialized' museum.
The Aquarium of the Great Lakes? (Hey.. of Cleveland can build a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its waterfront, what's so crazy about an ecologically informative display of Great Lakes ecology and zoology?)
The First Nations Centre of the Great Lakes? (Good Grief... what am I thinking? The local Rochester Native Centre can't even get enough finding to pay its rented office space... and has just been forced to move to more modest digs.)
Or - (and boy, is THIS sure to rile the locals) - a 'New Amsterdam' in a carefully selected and controlled area of downtown which caters to <ahem> adult clientele. (Yeesh. I can hear the screams from here.) 'Coffee shops' (which serve more than coffee) would pack a ferry faster than free booze. But 'progressive' has NEVER been an adjective describing Rochester.
And from all indications, never will be. Thinking outside the very well defined lines is forbidden, discouraged and generally spat upon in this paragon-of-family-values town. This area would rather have ten ordinary business ventures fail than to have one extraordinary one succeed. That's the mindset.
And therein lies its downfall.
Once again, is the Fast Ferry a 'unique' business venture? For this tired old city, yes.
Is the Fast Ferry a business venture with a promising future? For either Rochester or Toronto, most definitely NOT.
Jan Wong of the Globe and Mail is my heroine. A gutsy reporter who tells it as she sees it even if the locals blanch because the reality (oh no.. there's that word again) isn't tidily swept under the carpet so that some over inflated self-image is left untarnished. She's reported from the perspective of an out-of-country resident who saw more then she 'should' have and dared to look beyond the carefully delineated tourist route. Rochester, warts and all.
But the problem is: she didn't go along with the local mentality of pretending there are no warts. The If-We-Don't-See-Them-They're-Not-Really-There mentality. What cheekiness. Imagine; somebody giving a subjective opinion instead of the one they're expected to give. Such insouciance. The mayor of Rochester even said as much.
So now, my dear, you DO realize when this whole 'ferry bad idea' sinks amid a sea of red ink, it will be entirely YOUR fault, don't you? Yes indeedy, one reporter's honest assessment will be the sole reason for the demise of the service... it certainly won't be due to the myopic and naive business model of people who've visited the GTA less in ten years than this writer's visited in this year so far. No way.
Pop quiz for Rochester area residents: What's the Ex? What's it short for?
Time's up. If you answered "Molson Export", you spend far too much time in bars. And that's an answer you'll just have to find out for yourselves.
That is, if you can drag yourselves away from your coordinated Dixie Cup backyard barbeques and flag-waving Labour Day parades.
Wouldn't want to dare suggest you try something different.
That would be very UN-Rochesterian.
01 JULY 2004
Lemon Law for Fast Ferries?
Two mechanical problems in as many days causing delays or outright cancellation of the ferry schedule.
Busses are called in to truck the paying passengers up to Toronto and/or back to Rochester.
The locals get on the tube and yammer away about, "...it takes time to work the glitches out..", ".. these are just typical start up problems.." or "... it's a new technology and there are bound to be a few hiccups".
Codswallop.
Any serious business venture which has serious intentions of providing not only safe but RELIABLE service has the obligation to uncover any seen or unforeseen problems BEFORE throwing open the gangplank.... not after.
How many trial runs were completed prior to the inaugural run for the paying passengers? Two? Ten? Clearly, not enough and that decision rests entirely upon the backs of the CATS administration. To inconvenience, misrepresent and generally piss off the passengers from the onset of the operation is unconscionable and a real recipe for alienating the future of the venture.
And why not? How many times will people put up with delays, cancellations and screwed up travel plans before they dump the Breeze as a viable alternative to travel to and from Toronto? Two? Ten?
My guess is the smart ones are saying, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" and start pointing their cars towards the Thruway and the QEW instead of Charlotte or Cherry Street. I know if I paid a wad of cash for seats at a Toronto- or Rochester -based event and lost out because of a 'hydraulic problem', I'd be furious regardless of the inane reason.
That's not the problem of the paying passengers. 'Overheating engines' are not the problem of the potential passengers. And being herded onto a bus sort of negates the reason for taking the ferry in the first place... despite all the mea culpa's from the CATS people.
Even the staunchest supporter of the fast ferry has no choice but to ask themselves, "Do these guys know what they're doing or are they just winging it as they go?"
Excuses abound. Passenger numbers limp along to reach levels which can support a ship of this grand scale. And for all the hoopla of the local cheerleaders, the waves of Canadians flooding this side of the lake are nowhere to be seen.
"Just wait", they say. "Give it a chance to build momentum." Meanwhile, on the Canadian side people are wondering if they should roll the dice and take a chance that (a) they'll arrive and leave at the scheduled times or (b) even leave the dock in the first place. Nice way to run a business. Nice way to drive a business venture into the ground.
Building trust and confidence in a product or service is a required component for ANY business... for without that, potential customers will stay away in droves. And why not? Someone who pays for a premium service should expect premium attention to details; CATS has failed to show anything more then good intentions so far. Good intentions does not a successful business make.
So the diehard fans of the ferry still slap down their cash, get (figuratively) manhandled suspiciously by Customs, then are forced to sit picking their noses wondering how late... or if... they'll reach their destinations. "Whatta HOOT!"
Travelers unaccustomed to ever seeing the needle approach the 80 on their speedometers complain about how 'stressed out' they are by taking the QEW. Yet little to no mention is given to the dozens upon dozens of those ferry passengers whose plans are trashed by some 'glitch'.
What's the acceptable amount of time which should be allowed to iron out the 'startup problems'? One month? Six months?
None?
The reader is encouraged to compile a list of reasons which will be rolled out when the Breeze runs aground financially and is forced to call it quits. "Bad luck". "Mechanical problems". "A nasty review by a nationally recognized Canadian journalist". "Lack of public support".
"CATS screwed up from the onset of the first meeting".
Should be fun.
Happy Canada Day to one and all.
07 JULY 2004
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Van wins Great Ferry Race
Toronto reporters take a few more (cheap) shots
By Jim Memmott (June 29, 2004) — The Globe and Mail in Toronto is poking fun at Rochester again.
Canada’s national newspaper, or at least its reporter Jan Wong, first took on Rochester in November 2003 in a story alerting would-be visitors to the high homicide rate and other problems here. The latest slights come in the newspaper’s report Saturday on a race from Toronto to Rochester between a minivan and the high-speed ferry, The Spirit of Ontario. In “an epic contest of speed and cunning,” the van driven by reporter Peter Cheney wins, though not by much. It arrives at Rochester’s City Hall, the race’s end point, in less than three hours, a few minutes before the ferry docks at Charlotte. Flush with victory, Cheney describes Rochester in terms that may not have been preapproved by the Greater Rochester Visitors Association. ”Racing to Rochester struck me as a bit like fighting for a date with the homeliest girl in senior class,” Cheney writes at the beginning of his account. He later describes AC/DC’s Highway to Hell as the theme song for his trip. Reached by telephone Monday, Cheney said that “no offense” was meant. While he was in high school he always looked beyond mere physical beauty, he said. And though he hasn’t really spent time here, he knew that Rochester is the sort of city that can take a little teasing. Besides that, he said that there were things in Rochester that he liked. First of all, there was the LDR Char Pit in Charlotte, where he met up with Jeff Gray, the reporter assigned to ride the ferry. And then there was the new ferry terminal. “Your terminal is beautiful and ours looks like a crack house,” Cheney said. Cheney and Gray concluded that, while the car can be faster, the ferry is more relaxing. ”I had a great time, it’s a great boat,” said Gray in a telephone interview. Under the rules of their contest, both reporters left The Globe and Mail offices at 9:45 a.m. on June 21. Cheney came to Rochester via the Queen Elizabeth Way and the New York state Thruway. Gray had to get to the ferry 45 minutes before departure. Gray, who describes himself as a “lousy driver” with a “tiny car,” suggested that if he had been driving, the race to Rochester would have taken him longer than it took his colleague. Cheney is a licensed pilot brave enough to go with the notoriously fast flow of Canadian traffic, Gray suggested. Cheney made no apologies for any lead footing, saying that if you don’t want to “run with the big dogs” you should stay on the porch. He added that everything fell in place for him during the race, especially at the border, where he breezed through. Glenn Gardner, director of community relations for the company that operates the ferry, said he hadn’t read the report on the race to Rochester. But he stressed that while travel time is important aboard the ferry, other things count as well. ”The trip (aboard the ferry) is really about the experience,” Gardner said. “You get to enjoy yourself and come out refreshed.” |
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Oh. OK, Glenn. If the trip aboard the ferry is "really about the experience" wouldn't that put it on par with a rather expensive amusement park ride?
And didn't I write (several years ago) the 'fast' ferry wouldn't be any faster than taking one's own car?
"Cheney is a licensed pilot brave enough to go with the notoriously fast flow of Canadian traffic, Gray suggested. "
Oh PLEASE. If the bumpkins from the backwoods of Upstate New York are so convinced their molecular structures will disintegrate if they drive 80 miles per hour instead of 75, they DESERVE to be fleeced by some inane ferry operation.
Lissen up, you speed-phobic dweebs. The QEW has wider lanes, is a minimum of three lanes both east- and west-bound from just west of St.Catharines, is better maintained, flatter, straighter, newer and far better designed than ANY expressway between Rochester and the border.
As one who's routinely driven the QEW on a bimonthly basis since 1982, I tell U.S. drivers who are obsessed with the needle on the speedometer to tape a piece of paper over the gauge and keep up with traffic. Problem solved.
Of course, then the trip won't sound as terrifying if the folks back home can't be told of the exact speed the gas-swilling SUV from New York was going.
Oh. And another seemingly innocuous (no... make that foreboding) announcement today: CATS' CEO, Dominic Delucia resigned AND its President, Howard Thomas, was canned. "Change in leadership", they say.
"Bullshit", I say.
Cornel Martin, new CATS President, says there will be "more bumps in the road" due to the new technology and service startup.
Let's pause a moment here. A new multi-multi-million dollar ferry operation... with less than one month of public service under its belt... sees both its top suits leave abruptly. Couldn't be a case of 'getting out while the getting out is still good', now could it? Very convenient... especially when the operation tanks within the foreseeable future; both of the kingpins are out of the line of direct fire when the accusations and condemnations start flying.
Also; why would the top management cut and run if the operation looked as if it was going to be an unqualified success? I mean, I can completely understand why these two would bail out if they knew the bottom line was going to be disastrous... but if it's going to be rosy, why not stick around to receive all the accolades?
Something stinks worse than a hot day at the beach at Charlotte. And the locals just keep on with their delusions of ferry success.
The poll results show the level of sour grapes within the local population. With 37.4% calling Canadian reporters who reported on Rochester "idiots", doesn't appear there's a lot of respect for journalists who tell it like it is. Desperate for positive press, the Rochester area simply WON'T tolerate anything which doesn't glamourize the area and pump up already inflated egos.
Yeahhh... Rochester, you NEED a multi-tiered ramp garage at Charlotte. GO AHEAD!! Spend the money! Anything to draw in tourists, right? Just like the High Falls area, right?
It's taking on water, my friends, and no number of bilge pumps will keep this ferry service afloat. It's started to sink and one can only wonder if the locals will be waving the red-white-and-blue when the ship makes its last run.
A few months ago, Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson mused that the Canadians wouldn't risk international embarrassment by delaying the startup of the Breeze.
Not to worry, Bill. Looks like the only ones embarrassed will be the Americans when the Breeze shuts down.
Delicious just desserts for a an arrogant, myopic and provincial population who've (once again) forsaken reality in favour of clueless corporate pipedreams.
One of these decades they'll learn. Maybe.
08 JULY 2004
Corporate Strategies Revealed.
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All eyes are on ferry's future
New CATS chief says success here could energize
the industry.
(July 8, 2004) — The high-speed ferry
industry is intently watching Rochester to see how the Spirit of Ontario
fares, the new president of the ferry company said Wednesday.
“I recognize how big this is for Rochester, but it's also critical for the whole country and industry,” said Cornel Martin. A successful venture could help sprout similar high-speed ferries throughout North America. A failure could be a major setback. The Spirit of Ontario, nicknamed The Breeze, is only one of two high-speed passenger and vehicle ferries currently operating on the Great Lakes and one of only a few in the United States. “I don't feel the pressure because I know it can succeed,” said Martin, who was named president of Canadian American Transportation Systems this week. “We're excited here for the challenge.” CATS, the private company operating the new service between Rochester and Toronto, announced a management shake-up Tuesday that included founder and CEO Dominick Delucia stepping aside and President Howard Thomas leaving. Martin, who also is president of the Passenger Vessel Association, a trade organization based in Washington, D.C., had served as chief administrative officer since joining the company in May. In addition to being named president, he also serves as chairman of a five-member board of directors. He declined to identify other members of the CATS board of directors but said they include people from inside and outside the company. The timing of Tuesday's announcement raised questions because the ferry got off to a bumpy start and regular service began just three weeks ago. But Martin said the changes were made simply because CATS was moving from a development to an operating company. He laughed off rumors about Delucia being ousted. Delucia had led CATS since it was founded. “Dominick owns the company,” he said. “He can't be fired. It doesn't work that way.” However, Martin wouldn't answer directly when asked whether Thomas, whose role included Canadian operations and marketing, had been fired. He said that decision was made between the ferry owners and Thomas, and that the break was amicable. Delucia will remain part of the company, he said, but he will focus on larger issues such as CATS' ongoing dispute over paying customs fees in Canada and some pilotage fees in the United States, and bringing legalized gambling to the ferry and terminal at the Port of Rochester. Delucia and Thomas could not be reached for comment. Martin said he will focus on providing dependable and reliable service, and improving customer service. He added that the company has been overwhelmed with telephone calls seeking information and tickets for the ferry. CATS receives between 1,400 and 1,800 phone calls a day, Martin said. The other high-speed ferry on the Great Lakes is the Lake Express, a 192-foot catamaran that takes up to 46 cars and 250 passengers from Milwaukee to Muskegon, Mich. It began service June 1. “It's been absolutely wonderful,” said Kay Collins, director of sales. “It's been a big hit. The last couple of weeks, we have been running full.” The Lake Express takes about 2 ½ hours and has three round trips daily. The demand is greatest from people in Michigan wanting to go to Wisconsin, she said. The $18 million vessel was paid for with private funds. “People keep saying we need another one here. The phone lines have been busy,” Collins said. Glitches with any new service are to be expected, Collins said. “With any start-up business, you're going to have a little problem here and there. We have so many people going to ride, we can't answer the phones quick enough,” she said. And the Lake Express needs to solve a problem with Internet reservations that won't work when the user has disallowed pop-up advertising. She said there was talk of another high-speed ferry from Chicago to Benton Harbor, Mich., or Racine, Wis., starting this year. “But that never took off,” she said. |
"...But (new CATS President Cornel) Martin said the changes were made simply because CATS was moving from a development to an operating company."
Oh, but of COURSE.... that makes sense doesn't it? ALL new companies dump their President and see the CEO step down once things start to get under way. Nothing unusual there, now is there?
Corporate double-speak. Corporate cover-up. Corporate crap.
If all has gone so well, why on earth would a company dump the President and have the CEO step down? HMMM???
“I don't feel the pressure because I know it can succeed,” said Martin....... “We're excited here for the challenge.”
Whaddya mean 'CAN' succeed, Corny? What 'CHALLENGE' is there to be had if the hoards of passengers are showing up as promised by CATS cheerleaders? If this service were so wildly popular, why aren't there more than the two daily round trips being planned? Or three... or more?
Hey Jan Wong! You reading this? Our email exchange verifies Canadian solidarity on this side of the Lake... let your milquetoast editor know he's missing a sure bet this 'Our Gang' backyard production will go belly up within two years. The slide has already begun.
Scoot on down to Port Dover in Norfolk County to see the residents' reaction to another Fast Ferry venture proposed for THEIR town. (And make the obligatory stop at Callahan's or Knechtel's for a perch dinner.) As sure as that's my Canadian ancestral home turf, you'll not see a community enamoured with the idea of forking out millions of dollars for 'The Experience' of having a glitzy and expensive boat landing at the Port Dover pier.
(You Rochesterians DO know about Port Dover and Norfolk County, don't you? No??? Good. Let's keep it that way.)
Fire up that Pentium, Jan. There's more mischief to be made. The Merry Pranksters of Lake Ontario will not be silenced until we hear those three bilious words: "You. Were. Right."
I propose the Fast Flop Celebratory Dinner be held at The Champion House on Dundas. House Special Shrimps for me. Oh... and invite that nebbish editor of yours... unless he's too busy glad-handing local PR-types.
I would suggest a celebratory fête on this side of the Lake, but somehow 'Garbage Plate' doesn't have the ring of Special Occasion to it.
Except for some select Rochester-area residents.
21 JULY 2004
Desperate times, indeed. The veneer is showing signs of cracking and the swarmy smiles have turned into furrowed brows of concern.
No plans to add a third ferry crossing each day even though the original plans stated there WOULD be three daily crossings.
So why'd they say it in the first place? How did the CATS planners arrive at the conclusion there would be enough demand to warrant three daily crossings? What data did they use and how did they arrive at these numbers?
Simply put: it wouldn't make sense to SAY there would be three daily crossings unless there were some reasonable figures to back that up. So how did CATS arrive at these proposed figures?
Well... in the moribund and dreary economy of the Rochester area, wishful thinking is seen as being the equivalent to optimistic thinking. Optimism usually has some basis in fact; 'wishing' something will happen does not.
Another observation. CATS is presenting carefully worded public relations newsbites which are aimed at downplaying the negative while accentuating the positive. Classic spin, if you will and it gives the appearance that 'all is well' while the CATS' boardroom anxiety levels ramp up exponentially. CATS is worried, but to show that would send sales deeper into the dumpster than they already are.
"The sales for evening cruises just weren't there" CATS says stoically. Guess what? They never were... even before the first inaugural sailing.
Now, anybody with a hint of hipness (sorry Rochester, that leaves you out) would be able to know that Toronto bars and other nighttime venues don't even start to fill up until after 11pm. That's when the Rochester area scene starts to head home to get up with the chickens.
Check out the Montréal and Ottawa scenes. Same thing; the streets are filled at 3-4am on weekend nights with people still wandering from one bar or restaurant to another.
Rochester? Forget it. We 'decent' people get to bed at a 'decent' hour as determined by an über-conservative community standard.
So it comes as no surprise that CATS would axe any plan for a nighttime party cruise aimed at drawing young crowds with disposable income. Not that Toronto partiers would see the merits to dumping a wad of cash to travel to a city where the sidewalks are empty by 12:30am, but one has to wonder of this is a demographic CATS was aiming for anyway.
Worry and angst. Summer isn't even over... the ferry hasn't even had a full two month to prove itself... and already the entire future of the fast ferry is being called into question. Can't wait to see how many passengers will be rushing to buy tickets for the winter crossings. Doesn't a windy, wet and cold day crossing Lake Ontario sound appealing... regardless of how controlled the ferry climate may be?
Not to worry CATS. You can always depends on your fat, balding and pompous passengers of your inaugural trip to save the day, no? I mean... if they'll spring for US$500 tickets for the extreme pleasure of a boat ride to some docklands area of Toronto (and no further), they'll most CERTAINLY be there to back up their smug praises by their repeat trips on The Breeze.
Question. How many of those black-tied and heavily-corseted twits have made more than four crossings since their clubby Rotarian cruise?
How many have made ANY crossings since then?
If the local community of 'haves' can't even support an operation of this magnitude, what makes CATS think the 'less-then-haves' will do any better? One or two repeat trips aboard The Breeze just ain't gonna cut it; this project needs sustained and consistent patronage in order to even have a chance at success. And that's just not happening.
Toronto my dear, perhaps now might be a good time to don that slicker as there's about to be a boatload of accusations being thrown your way and you wouldn't want to be covered with the barnyard dung of the local corporate set. With their world collapsing down around them... (can you say Kodak?)... these bad comb-overs are desperately seeking scapegoats.
"Blame Canada" is quickly becoming a hymn for the ignorance of the local ferry cheerleaders and their clueless community leaders.
But in Toronto, "Ask Me If I Care" will always drown out the petulant whining of some backwater town which can't even manage to turn a profit at their minor league ball field.... let alone make a decent go of it in the international arena.
Might there be some reason CATS President Cornel Martin hasn't moved his family to a home in the Rochester area? Could it be he's leaving the door open to beat a hasty retreat when the operation goes belly up?
Maybe. Time will most certainly tell, won't it?
17 AUGUST 2004
Sheesh.
As the Gentle Reader will no doubt have discerned by this point, yours truly has been readying the death shroud for the eventual demise of The Breeze. Much to the consternation of the local set who're still bouncy with pompoms and well-choreographed leaps of enthusiasm.
Or so it would appear by many reports in the local media. However, when talk turns to d'affairs canadiens it might be worthwhile to listen to a Canadian rather than some Upstate NY Suits with more of a vested interest in pushing image versus reality.
Ya think?
Anyway. Cut-rate fares for mid-week travelers and the first real sign that it's time to gather the family and friends has arrived. CATS, you see, is looking to the US Federal government for a loan to keep the service afloat. Seems 'someone' underestimated the operating costs and 'someone' is blaming rising fuel costs along with customs fees along with maintenance costs along with the US Customs (for not allowing commercial trucks onboard) along with the sun hasn't been at the expected apogee and the Lake hasn't been delivering the pots of gold as expect.
In short, 'someone' blew it. Big time. And now CATS is whining they need money to stay afloat.
"Oh nooo", says CATS, "the loan isn't a bail out... we wanna buy another boat". Yeah, sure. It's like buying a Bentley and finding out the maintenance and operating costs are outta sight and not enough money's coming in... so let's borrow more money for another Bentley. Think the Feds are stupid enough to buy that? A company currently losing $540,000 a month is going to be able to repay a loan for $100 million?
Funny thing about loans though; they have to be paid back. And what's the monthly tab for a $100 million loan PLUS interest? And if there's not enough money coming in already, how's CATS supposed to repay an additional $100 million in loans?
Uhh. Well... it's like this... uhh... well.. "we THINK ridership will increase". Oh yaa... sure.. that's good enough to warrant a $100 million loan. And when CATS goes belly up, who's gonna repay the $100 million of taxpayer's money?
Guess. (C'mon, you can do it!)
Tough bananas, boys. Tax money isn't available to loan out to bail out private businesses which screw around pretending to be in the Major Leagues. CATS' margin of error has been so narrow and unrealistic, it defies rational explanation or commonsense logic.
Rising fuels costs? Gee, who could have seen THAT coming, eh? I mean, let's blame the FUEL COSTS for the inept projections.
The real stupidity lies with CATS management for thinking the local population is buying this double-speak Crapola Of The Week. 'Fuel costs' my foot, let's admit the truth:
There simply isn't the demand for the service CATS is currently providing - not enough to support the business and there never has been. Period.
As any semi-prudent consumer knows, if costs are outstripping income a guaranteed way to bankruptcy is to borrow more money... which only adds to the debt load. In CATS' case, these delusional incompetents are willing to ignore all the very obvious signs and pretend the non-supporting public is going to miraculously flood the phone lines with demands for reservations.
If it hasn't happened by this point, it's a safe bet it's not going to happen at all. Big attraction at the opening fanfare, then curiosity (and demand) sinks out of sight.
So tonight, the writing's beginning to become bolder and the message is becoming clearer. The Fast Ferry is entering the terminal state. Borrowing money to offset normal business expenses (no matter how 'expected' or not) is the first real sign that something stinks. And it ain't the fish.
But it really IS great fun to watch the brainwashed locals as they rush on down to the Port of Rochester with visions of Torontonians mobbing burger and beer joints after their 'unique travel experience'.
And Toronto and Southern Ontario's reaction to this 'unique travel experience'? A very big Y A W N . The non-existent numbers do not lie.
Oh dear. Oh my. This DOES put a wrinkle in the fabric as CATS (and Rochester) were SOOOO sure 'everybody' would just LOOOVE to blow a handsome chunk of change for the opportunity to play their game. WRONG.
I feel foolish... I really do. I'd predicted the whole fiasco would fold within two years. Now it's questionable whether it'll finish this year.
But hey! In these times when Canada and Canadians aren't held in as high esteem as they once were (we Canadians didn't kowtow to GWB's demands, doncha know?) what's a Canadian know anyway, right?
Evidently, much more than the CATS suits do. Canadians know a redundant and expensive mode of transportation to Rochester isn't needed. If Rochester were the size of New York City, CATS would have turned a profit from Day One. It's not and it hasn't. And it doesn't take a PhD. in Urban Demographics to figure THAT one out.
But the folks at CATS and in the Rochester area are about to find that out for themselves. Vindication is best served with humble pie. So once again, I'll refrain from saying "I told you so".
Anybody need a boat? A really BIG boat? I think I know where a gently-used one can be had for a real bargain (only a tiny little accident ramming into a pier).
Say Good Night Gracie.
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Ferry prices reduced on Web site
By Jeffrey Blackwell and Rick Armon The promotion is good for pedestrian and vehicle passengers — adults, seniors and youth — as well as noncommercial vehicles, including bicycles. The only catch: Tickets must be purchased at the company's Web site, www.thebreeze.com. The discount cuts the price of a pedestrian adult ticket to $14 (from $28), and passage for an adult car passenger to $10 (from $20). The vehicle fare drops to $20 (from $40). CATS spokesman Glenn Gardner said the promotion is designed to pull people to the company's Web site. “A couple of things are going on,” he said. “Certainly we would like to increase the number of passengers and the number of people who can enjoy those days. But we also want to make sure people know we have a Web site.” Fewer passengers ride the ferry Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday than on the weekend, he said. Overall, he said, ticket sales are going up. According to CATS, more than 12,000 passengers sailed on the ferry the week of July 20. “This last weekend — Saturday — was probably our highest day yet, with over 2,500,” Gardner said. However, Bob Barbato, an associate professor of management and the director of the Small Business Institute at Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Business, said the ticket discount likely isn't a good sign for the ferry business. CATS has received plenty of free publicity about the service, but “the ferry is not attracting as many people as predicted,” he said. “Discounting is part of the retail business and it doesn't sound the alarm or anything, but I think ridership is lower than what they hoped for on those days,” added Barbato, who has taken the ferry and enjoyed the ride. “They understand that a boat that sails half full costs the same as a full boat.” CATS is hoping to bolster its daily and winter business with commercial trucking. The ferry can carry 10 tractor-trailers with fewer cars aboard. The company has been unable to carry trucks because it has not received clearance by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Gardner said negotiations are progressing and the service should be cleared for operation in the near future. “I think we are very close,” he said. Customs spokeswoman Janet Rapaport said negotiations were continuing with CATS, but declined to comment on the specific status of the talks. Meanwhile, a gift shop opened Thursday in the ferry terminal. The Chestnut Tree offers handcrafted items made by Rochester artists. The items include painted windows, pottery, jewelry and photographs. The shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day through Labor Day weekend. |
 Ferry
Company Asks Feds For Loan Jane Flasch (Rochester, NY) 08/16/04 -- Less than two months after the fast ferry has been in business, the company that runs it is seeking a federal loan of as much as $100 million. Local business leaders are backing the request, but officials from Canadian-American Transportation Systems (CATS) insists it is not a bail out. The ferry cost $58 million dollars; the loan is almost enough to buy another boat. Officials from CATS said the money will be used possibly to do that and that it won't be used to cover current expenses. Officials also say that later this month it will be a quarter of the way to the 400,000 passengers it needs to break even its first year. The company had previously anticipated supplementing income from passengers with commercial truck traffic. It has not gotten customs clearance to do so and is losing $18,000 a day. The ferry also faces unexpected expenses including the cost of fuel; it burns 18,000 gallons daily. The Rump Group has sent a letter to lawmakers asking them to support the loan request. Sandy Parker of the Rump Group said, "If we look at it, that it's been operational for six months, it's not too much different than other businesses starting out…if we throw the towel in on something like this it’s a black mark on our community." The letter also asks lawmakers to do whatever it takes to speed up customs on both sides of the border and to put pressure on US customs to speed up the licensing for the commercial traffic. Cornell Martin of CATS said money the company would have spent on a second boat or new routes has been eaten up by start up costs. It is early in the process and there has not yet been a response. The federal program is only for new projects or business expansion.
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07 SEPTEMBER 2004
Vindication.
There it is. That's the news I've been predicting for over three years right here.
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Oh and INDEED this is Big News in the Rochester area... just as predicted in this website, the community has banked heavily on the success of a 'unique travel experience'. "...a major blow to economic development efforts in Rochester.."?
Well, gang -- I suppose dumping tens of millions of dollars into structures which have had a lifespan of less than four months, yeah... I can see where such a waste of cash would put a crimp in economic development.
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CATS: Ferry service stops Wednesday
Joseph
Spector
Staff writer (September 7, 2004) —
Canadian American Transportation Systems announced today that it will stop
operations Wednesday of the high-speed ferry between Rochester and
Toronto, claiming accumulating debt has made it unable to continue
service. |
Morons. Nebbishes. Total incompetents. As if simply allowing commercial traffic aboard The Breeze would save the entire project.
As a taxpayer, I'd say all those grants and loans siphoned off of public coffers to fund this debacle should be repaid. Liens should be flying, lawsuits should be piling up and malfeasance charges should be laid against the organizers and co-signers of this fiasco. Such blatant incompetence should NOT go unpunished.
City of Rochester? NOW what are you going to do with all the development and money shoved toward this bomb of an idea? You got BIG plans for a brand-spanking NEW ferry terminal??? Guess what? You were wrong.
You realtors... who envisioned mobs of Canadians who'd simply jump on the ferry to get to their cottages on the Finger Lakes... guess what? YOU were wrong.
You Fast Buck burger and beer entrepreneurs who bought up property near the southern terminus of the Ferry... guess what?? YOU were wrong.
Discount tickets? Didn't work. A $500-per-ticket maiden party barge for pompous twits? Didn't work. A Fast Ferry scheme between Toronto and Rochester? It COULDN'T work. And I said so back in August of 2001.
Keep an eye on CATS management. Let's compare the mountain of accusations which will be tossed about as to the reason behind the demise - with - the number of times CATS simply says, "We were wrong. It's our fault."
Let's see how reducing revenue to ZERO DOLLARS per day is going to help resurrect a multi-million dollar debt... which does nothing but grow deeper with each passing day. Smart business model? I think not, but it's really on par with the bumbling business plans CATS has shown to date.
"We thought...", "we assumed...", "..it looked good...". What kind of crap shoot did CATS think they were playing anyway? Either all their homework was done in advance or it wasn't. Either all the details had been worked out to completion PRIOR to the maiden voyage or it wasn't.
Either CATS knew what was going on or it didn't. This pathetic whining that "they were against us" is a load of codswallop. Had CATS ironed out every... EVERY... aspect of their business plan before selling the first ticket, they wouldn't be sitting around today bemoaning the slings and arrows of starting ANY business.
"Unforeseen rise in fuel prices"? Puh-LEEZE. Like it's some impossible and improbable possibility which anyone with a roof over their head doesn't already take into consideration. These guys really aren't THAT stupid... are they? Or has blaming increasing energy costs become a de facto excuse for any company which sees a downward trend in the bottom line? (hey, it works for Eastman Kodak, doesn't it?)
Lest anyone think there'll be some miraculous last-minute reprieve, don't hold your breath. The Rochester area simply doesn't have enough appeal for people living in and around Canada's largest metropolitan area... which happens to be a World Class City. Much unlike the Rochester area. That's not going to change no matter HOW many trucks might use the service IF it starts up again.
So let the bashing begin. Jan Wong, you were right. Let's check our calendars to set up that 'Adieu Breeze Party'... in Toronto, of course.
There's been enough money wasted in Rochester already.
All that's left to do is:
Point and laugh.
![[Globe Questions Future Ferry Routes]](ferry_future.jpg)
![[News]](titler_News.gif){kind=small}
![[CATS Fires President,DeLucia Leaves]](ferry_leaving_051404.jpg)
(Rochester,
NY) 09/07/04 - Freight and customs issues
have caused the ferry's operating company to take drastic steps.