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Following a recent briefing for the Annapolis City Council, we received valuable feedback from the public and I thank everyone who weighed in.
I want to be clear: no final decisions about the ferry have been made. The City is taking a measured approach, weighing public input, and working to resolve unanswered questions: how much will it cost? Is there a demand? And what are the impacts for site selection?
While federal funds have been awarded (a $3.5 million Federal Transit Administration grant), several critical factors remain under review before the City spends those funds, including:
Costs: While the City has secured the federal grant funding, questions about the design, construction, and landing improvements remain unanswered. Those dollar amounts can only be determined if the RFPs are issued. Until total costs are clear, the exact percentage covered by those federal dollars, and a precise number for the local costs required, cannot be finalized.
Demand: This City has not fully established that a sufficient demand exists for a fixed-route ferry, or that resident needs are not being met by the existing water taxi service. The City should move to more fully identify the benefits before proceeding.
Site Selection: Any landing location for the hybrid ferry requires a demonstration that the benefits outweigh the costs. Regarding the proposed 5th Street landing, current analysis indicates it does not solve an existing problem and risks creating new issues for the neighborhood.
Lastly, the upcoming RFP will also help to answer questions about operations and maintenance. The answers to these questions will inform the City Council before deciding to approve (or not approve) the matching $525,000 in City funds.
We will keep the community informed as this process moves forward.
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