What sunk the Lynn commuter ferry?
Launched with much public acclaim, the ferry sailed from Blossom Street extension to Boston for two summers and early falls before it was unfunded by the state this month, leaving its dock and adjoining parking lot empty.
Given the last couple of weeks to let it sink in, we come away with more questions than answers.
Did the ferry fail to “generate the ridership that people hoped it would generate,” as Gov. Baker said? Or did Lynn enter the state funding process too late this year, as stated by Carolyn Kirk, deputy secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and vice chair of the Seaport Economic Council?
Remarks were made by the administration suggesting that there is a correlation between an empty MBTA parking garage and a lack of support for the ferry. Why would an empty garage in utter disrepair, beside a commuter rail with infrequent service, overpriced fares and a terminus in an arena, have any bearing on the ferry?
If the state refuses to fund a ferry this summer — and by all indications next — doesn’t that mean the city returns to square one as a ferry operator once it takes possession of a $4.5 million boat promised to Lynn by the federal government? Or, without the state’s support of the program, is Lynn still in line to receive the federally-funded boat?
After $7.65 million in federal, state and local money was invested to renovate the dock and parking area on Blossom Street extension and lease a ferry for two years, why would the state effectively abandon that investment so soon?
Did anyone at any level of government compare probable ridership growth rates for Lynn’s ferry with growth rates demonstrated by ferries running out of other Greater Boston communities?
Did anyone study ridership for the Lynn ferry’s two seasons and make projections for subsequent years?
In an environment in which the MBTA routinely operates in the red – bright red – would it be realistic for anyone to expect the Lynn ferry to run in the black its first two years? Have any other aspects of public transportation been held to such high expectations?
Why should Lynn be asked to shoulder the cost of public transportation operations when no other community is asked to do so?
Did anyone consider that the ferry was a selling point, not only for Lynn, but the surrounding communities?
Did anyone take into account the fact that eight out of 10 ferry riders came from outside Lynn, and then take into consideration the boat’s potential impact on Lynn’s economy and image?
Isn’t it reasonable to assume that these non-residents may have been prompted to return to the city to take advantage of its amenities, such as downtown restaurants and the resurgent auditorium?
Was quality of life taken into consideration? Wouldn’t 30 minutes on a ferry be a vast improvement over 90 minutes in traffic? Was the environmental advantage of taking cars off the road considered?
Was the ferry seen only as a singular commuting option, rather than as a component of a broader transportation network?
After the governor, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, Sen. Tom McGee and the state delegation, Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy and other state and local officials last November pointed to the ferry as a critical ingredient in Lynn’s economic resurgence, why would the state walk away seven months later?
Were all the Lynn Economic Advancement and Development (LEAD) team members in lockstep on Lynn’s priorities, or did a failure to communicate result in the ferry losing priority status? Or was it just plain politics?
With the ferry sunk, what happens to the infrastructure in place? Do the dock, parking lot, signs and benches sit neglected off the Lynnway until a maintenance crew quietly packs them up and hauls them off? Or do they become a picnic area for clients of whatever clinic is currently being proposed for that area?
Why would the state be unwilling to spend $700,000 in a budget of $38.4 billion on a project like the commuter ferry, with millions of public dollars already invested — especially considering the Department of Transportation is apparently willing to spend $20.4 million on a bike lane on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston?
If a project like the ferry, with its documented regional appeal (remember: 80 percent of the riders came from outside Lynn) is not deemed worthy of state funding, what is?
How much of the blame belongs to this newspaper for not asking some of these questions earlier, and for not reporting the early warning signs that this project was taking on water?
During a visit to Lynn, Ash said that to maximize development “sometimes you just have to say no.” But did the administration have to wait until the 11th hour to say “no”?
Finally, rather than our labeling the decision not to fund the ferry questionable, we ask one final question: Wouldn’t this be a good time for the state to hit the restart button, find the funding to operate the ferry for the remainder of the season, and work out the details for next year and beyond?