Cape May-Lewes Ferry plan steams ahead

Officials narrowing new fleet configuration

By Logan B. Anderson
Posted 10/11/21

LEWES — By 2025, riders of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry could travel the Delaware Bay on new vessels.

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Cape May-Lewes Ferry plan steams ahead

Officials narrowing new fleet configuration

Posted

LEWES — By 2025, riders of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry could travel the Delaware Bay on new vessels.

What those boats could look like is the topic of the Delaware River & Bay Authority’s marine master plan for the Delaware and New Jersey-based ferry service.

Work on the initiative began earlier this year. DRBA and ferry leaders partnered with Seattle-based KPFF Consulting Engineers, a naval architecture and marine engineering firm, to lead the effort.

“This report will be complete in winter of 2022. Then, vessel design would continue after that,” said Kristen Kissinger, KPFF project manager and transportations consulting engineer. “Then, if funding all lines up, you could see vessel construction as early as 2024.”

The project began its public outreach in June. On Thursday, leaders held their second virtual hearing about the process, which was created to define the scope of what a future Cape May-Lewes Ferry fleet could look like.

Currently, the group consists of three 100-vehicle, 800-passenger ships.

On Thursday, officials laid out four potential scenarios:

  • Option 1 — Three 100-car ferries with 440-passenger capacities (similar to the current fleet, but with smaller passenger areas).
  • Option 2a — Three midsized vessels with 75-vehicle and 330-passenger capacities.
  • Option 2b — The same as the previous option but with four vessels.
  • Option 3 — Five 55-car ferries with 240-passenger capacities.

According to the engineers, each choice would be able to handle pre-pandemic traffic levels.

One-way travel time across the bay is about 80 minutes. All the options presented will be able to meet or improve that time, the engineers noted.

All the proposed vessels will be able to accommodate commercial truck heights and possibly taller vehicles.

Beyond public input, ferry leaders are looking at what configuration would meet riders’ needs, while also being the most cost-effective. For example, it is cheaper to operate a 55-car ferry versus a 100-car ferry.

It’s also cheaper to build a smaller vessel fleet: The cost to build a 100-car ferry would be about $115 million, but the 55-car option is $45 million.

The total cost of the first option will be about $345 million; the second would cost between $228 million and $304 million; and the third option’s price would be about $225 million, according to the plans.

Engineers are open to different power sources for the vessels, too, like diesel and electric hybrid, as well as fully electric motors. Those options will be explored next year during the design portion.

Ferry operators also do not want to cause any major changes to the terminals.

“The design going forward will minimize the impacts on the existing terminal,” said project manager John Peterson.

Once ferry leaders gather all public input and complete their report this winter, the design phase for the vessels will begin, including further consensus from area residents.

For more information about the marine master plan, visit here. To make comments on the plan, email marinemasterplan@drba.net or call 609-889-7280, ext. 27280. Ferry officials said e-mail is their preferred mode of communication.

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