THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701250540
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 100 lines
To the passengers of the Jamestown-Scotland Wharf Ferry, the quaint, nostalgic service is a respite from traffic lights, congestion and white-knuckled commutes.
On a crisp, cool day last week, the ``Surry'' plied the sun-dappled waters of the James River as tiny icebergs floated beside it and sea gulls floated above. It's one of four boats in the ferry fleet.
``It's nice to get out and catch the scenery,'' said Wayne Kusmira, 37, of Newport News, as he strolled the deck. ``It's really pleasant. And it certainly beats sitting in traffic on Mercury Boulevard.''
But to the state, the ferry service is basically an underwater road that's sucking up time and energy that could be better spent on interstates and highways.
``For us, it's Route 31, it just so happens to be underwater,'' said Richard Davis, a Virginia Department of Transportation financial manager.
``We're largely focused on highways and roads. Since it's the only thing like that that we operate, we believe someone else could do as good a job or a better job at the same or less cost.''
Which is why the state is considering four proposals to privatize the operation of the 70-year-old ferry system between James City County and Surry County.
By July 1, when ferry tolls are scheduled to be lifted by order of the General Assembly, VDOT hopes to have a new operator in place. To passengers, there will be no perceivable change, except maybe employee uniforms and such. The new management will be required to at least meet the current round-the-clock schedule.
The state views the ferry as a valuable service that should continue not only for commuters but also for tourists who love the novelty of a vehicle ferry.
It's the last ferry still operated by the state. Bridges and tunnels have taken over since the heyday of the ferry system in the mid-1950s, when boats crossed the Elizabeth and York rivers, Hampton Roads harbor and even the Chesapeake Bay between Norfolk and Cape Charles.
The state considered replacing the ferry with a bridge in 1990, but the communities on both sides of the water successfully opposed it.
The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry is the only river crossing between the James River Bridge in Isle of Wight County and the Benjamin Harrison Bridge near Hopewell.
About 650,000 cars and trucks are loaded onto ferries each year for the 15-minute trip across the James. On a typical day, that's about 2,100 vehicles.
It's used primarily by residents who live in western Tidewater to commute to jobs, and shopping and medical services on the Peninsula. It also gets significant use from day-trippers and tourists intrigued by the ferry.
On the northern side, the ferry stop is right next to Jamestown Settlement and just down the road from Colonial Williamsburg. On the south side, the Surry House Restaurant, famous for its ham biscuits and peanut soup and ham biscuits, is a popular destination.
If timed just right, a trip between the Peninsula and western Tidewater via ferry takes less time than taking the highways and crossing the James River Bridge almost 20 miles to the south. Ferry departures range from every 25 minutes to every hour depending on the time of day.
William M. Collier, ferry manager, says ridership has been increasing about 5 percent a year for the past few years. When the tolls are lifted in July, ridership is expected to jump only slightly, by about another 3 percent.
Collier said the tolls have not been much of a deterrent to taking the ferry, as a book of 20 tickets costs $5.00 - or 25 cents a crossing. Individual tickets, purchased primarily by tourists, are $4.00.
``I take it any chance I get,'' said Fred Gilbert, of Isle of Wight County, Gilbert said he feels like he's on a ``mini-vacation'' each time he boards the ferry.
The effort to privatize the ferry operation is part of Transportation Secretary Robert E. Martinez's push to involve the private sector in more of the public sector's business.
VDOT officials are now reviewing proposals to privatize from four companies - Recreational Concepts Inc. of Norfolk, JL Associates Inc. in Hampton, Halifax Technical Services Inc. of Alexandria, and American Overseas Marine Corp. of Quincy, Mass.
VDOT's operating budget for the ferry is $4.1 million. About $650,000 a year is collected in tolls to help offset some of the expenses. A new operator, however, will not have any toll revenue.
Local companies bidding on the project see a fun opportunity in which they have some expertise that could also make them some money.
Norfolk's Recreational Concepts already operates four tour boat services in Richmond, Jamestown and Ocean City, Md. and is looking to expand its fleet.
Hampton's JL Associates has the same awe of the service as many of its riders. ``Wow, this is neat,'' said Susan Moore, communications director. ``We have a general appreciation for the ferry and what it does for the state.''
If VDOT decides to go private, the state will continue to own the docks and ferries and would pay the selected company to run the service.
The ferry operation consists of a fleet of four boats: the Pocahontas, which has a 70-car capacity; the Surry and the Williamsburg, each with a 50-car capacity; and the Virginia, 28-car capacity.
Nine-year-old Stephanie McLauchlin, of Northern Virginia, had just visited Jamestown with her family and was at the bow of the ``Surry'' with the wind whipping through her hair.
Leaning against the rail, Stephanie got a nice water view of Jamestown Settlement and the ships Godspeed, Susan Constant and Discovery.
``It's awesome,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by HUY NGUYEN, The Virginian-Pilot
Jamestown-Scotland Wharf Ferry