NORTH CAPE MAY – The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) had a virtual public meeting Feb. 23 to announce the result of its ferry fleet modernization strategy.
Over several years, in a phased approach, the authority will replace three aging 100-car ferries with four newly constructed, 75-car, mid-size ferries. The move will, according to DRBA, allow for greater capacity, lower operating costs, and less carbon-based emissions.
The strategy is the result of a comprehensive data collection phase and invited public comment at an October 2021 virtual meeting.
According to Kristen Kissinger, of KPFF, the engineering firm assisting DRBA in its fleet development strategy, the project kicked off in the first quarter of 2021, with a decision on fleet composition made by the DRBA Board in the third quarter of 2022.
Four options were considered before the selection of what Kissinger called Option 2b – the four 75-car, mid-size fleet.
Kissinger said the DRBA goals for the effort included meeting current demand, with the capacity for a small amount of growth. The analysis did not indicate a need to plan for substantial growth in ridership, even with population growth on both sides of the ferry crossing.
Another goal was to minimize terminal modifications for docking and receiving passengers. With minimal modifications at the terminals, the capital costs were largely concentrated on the fleet itself.
For passengers, the authority sought to improve onboard amenities and meet or improve trip crossing time with an equal or better ride experience.
Responding to a question, John Waterhouse, of Elliott Bay Design Group, DRBA’s design consultants, said the smaller fleet should present riders with no greater rocking or movement than they experience with the current larger fleet.
DRBA also seeks to lower operating costs as it modernizes the fleet with smaller ferries, mainly through lower fuel costs and eventually staffing reductions through attrition.
A final, but equally important goal, Waterhouse said, is making the fleet more environmentally friendly. DRBA Chief Operating Officer Heath Gehrke said the new fleet will be designed for hybrid fuel use.
The current fleet relies on diesel fuel and will continue to do so, Gehrke said, but it will be designed to be able to add batteries or some other alternative fuel source as “shoreside infrastructure improves.” The goal is to be diesel-free for its normal operations but to still rely on diesel fuel for extended distances, like the trip to New York docks for maintenance.
The time horizon for the new fleet, both in terms of phasing in the vessels and their eventual lifespan, leaves the modernization effort in an awkward position with respect to clean energy transition.
The cost estimates included a $15 million line for the electrification of terminals as another aspect of environmental friendliness. Waterhouse said the modern requirements for diesel would cause the vessels to produce less carbon emissions, even when using that fuel.
The smaller size but increased number of the ferries, according to Gehrke, should allow for up to nine additional crossings during peak season and better “rightsizing” during the offseason.
The presentation, available on the DRBA website, included early looks at the main deck, the location of the vehicles, and the above-passenger decks.
DRBA expects to meet all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for access and ease of use. The design is intended to allow for future needs given the useful life of the new ferries may be as long as 40 to 50 years.
The schedule for the first vessel shows the elongated timespan likely to accompany the full transition to new ferries. The goal is to have completed design by the second quarter of 2024, with construction commencing in the fourth quarter of that year.
The first actual delivery of a vessel is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026. There will be an extended period when large and mid-sized vessels will operate together as the DRBA fleet during the transition.
Thoughts? Questions? Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
