New commuter ferry debuts in Winthrop

LYNN – Lynn residents may feel a twinge of envy after a new commuter ferry from Winthrop to Boston made its debut Tuesday.The 149-passenger boat operated by Boston Harbor Cruises is slated to make the 25-minute run to Rowe’s Wharf three times each weekday morning with three return trips in the afternoon.Lynn officials had hoped to operate a similar ferry from the industrial pier off the Lynnway to downtown Boston, but the project was dealt a major setback earlier this year when a key federal agency harshly criticized the plan. In doing so, the agency blocked an anticipated $8.4 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds that elected officials like state Sen. Thomas McGee of Lynn had worked to obtain.Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) Regional Administrator Richard H. Doyle in a Jan. 13 letter to the state Department of Transportation said his agency reviewed the Lynn project, visited the site and determined it should not receive ARRA funds. Contrary to what ferry proponents and studies contend, a Lynn commuter ferry would not run as an alternative to the Salem commuter ferry, he said.”It is unlikely that both routes would be run simultaneously unless one proved to be unexpectedly successful,” Doyle’s letter stated.Further, the FTA found many Lynn residents use the Blue Line rapid transit rail that connects Revere to Boston because of its fare and frequency of service. A one-way ride on the ferry would have cost $5.40, while a round-trip subway trip is $4 before a Charlie Card discount.The FTA also observed that “the total number of Lynn residents employed at South Boston locations within convenient walking distance of the World Trade Center Pier is about 200 at most. With a very high 50-percent share, a boat from Lynn would capture no more than 100 of these.”The traffic pattern detailing how commuters on the Lynnway would enter the ferry station parking lot also received unfavorable review by the FTA.When the Winthrop ferry left the dock for its inaugural run, Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a Winthrop resident, and U.S. Rep. Edward Markey were among the passengers. Markey helped secure $2.35 million in federal funding for the service.A one-way ticket is $6 for adults and $3 for seniors and children under 12. Boston Harbor Cruises already operates commuter boats for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority from Hingham and the Charlestown Navy Yard.