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52 Guidelines for Ferry Transportation Services
Emergency Response
The U.S. Virgin Islands experience the threat of hurricanes every season. Emergency evacua-
tion plans are in place for each island should a natural disaster occur. In an emergency, there is
the possibility that vessels from Saint Thomas would have to assist in evacuating Saint Croix and
in doing so navigate the rough waters between the two islands. For this reason, the ferry opera-
tors in the U.S. Virgin Islands use monohull vessels.
Washington Island Ferry Line (Wisconsin)
Quickfacts
Operator Service # of # of Annual Annual Fleet Age
Category Routes Vessels Passengers Vehicles (years)
Washington Highway 1 5 200,000 n/a 740
Island Ferry Ferry
Line Essential
History
Washington Island is an island located 6 miles (5.2 nautical miles) from the tip of Door County,
Wisconsin. It is a popular vacation destination as well as a year-round residence for approximately
700 people. Ferry service is an integral part of island life--many of the island's daily goods arrive
by boat. Supplies such as foodstuffs and heating products ensure that residents can live on the
island year-round.
Washington Island Ferry Line (WIFL) began service in 1940, when Arni and Carl Richter
purchased two wooden ferries from an existing service that was run by Captain William
Jepson and that had been in operation for 6 years. Upon acquiring United States Postal Ser-
vice (USPS) contracts to deliver freight mail, what was once seasonal service transitioned to
daily service to the island. Today, WIFL continues as a private ferry operation (Purinton,
accessed April 1, 2010).
As a family-owned and -operated business, the ferry service continues to provide a public ser-
vice for both residents and visitors to the island. In addition, ferries shuttle commerce and goods
between the mainland and the island. Although the ferry service is a wholly owned private entity,
there are some aspects of operation that fall under government regulation and oversight. This
regulation and oversight is provided mainly by the United States Coast Guard, as well as several
state offices that oversee marine-based functions.
Organizational Structure
As a private operation, WIFL has the flexibility to modify and adjust to changing conditions,
both environmental and social. The company owns all of its vessels, as well as the ramps, piers,
and terminal facilities.
Operational Structure
System/Service Routes
WIFL operates only one route between the mainland and Washington Island (see Figure 5-11
for route map). Approximately 200,000 people ride the ferry every year. The service operates
26 or 27 round trips a day during the summer, with service reduced to twice a day during the
winter season due to severe weather and ice conditions. The summer months provide 75 to
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Ferry Case Studies 53
Figure 5-11. Washington Island ferry route.
80 percent of the year's business. Summer travelers are mainly tourists, in-state visitors, and
day-trippers (Interview with Washington Island Ferry Line, February 4, 2010). Few commuters
use the service daily, since the dock is located far from the nearest town on the mainland and
schedules are not set to accommodate a typical commuter schedule. Friday and weekend trips
tend to have more passengers than a typical weekday because of seasonal property owners and
vacationers heading to the island for the weekend. WIFL runs special trips on Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday nights to satisfy the demand from weekend travelers (See Table 5-14 for service
schedule).
Travel time on the ferry route varies by the season. During the non-winter months, the cross-
ing takes approximately 30 minutes. During the winter months, the crossing time can extend to
40 to 45 minutes. Severe weather such as icy conditions can extend a one-way trip to 4 hours. In
this situation, an icebreaker is required to clear a path through the ice, either with the operation's
ferries that can break ice or with the assistance of the Coast Guard (Interview with Washington
Island Ferry Line, February 4, 2010).
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54 Guidelines for Ferry Transportation Services
Table 5-14. Washington Island Ferry Line service frequency
by season.
Season FrequencyTo Island FrequencyFrom Island
Spring
April 1, 2010May 7, 2010 Hourly Hourly
May 8, 2010July 1, 2010 Hourly Hourly
Summer
July 2, 2010August 15, 2010 30 to 45 min 30 to 45 min
Fall
August 16, 2010October 24, 2010 Hourly Hourly
Early Winter/Winter
October 25, 2010December 5, 2010 Hourly Hourly
December 6, 2010January 2, 2011 4 sailings per day 4 sailings per day
January 3, 2011March 31, 2011 Two times weekly (do Two times weekly (do
not sail on Wednesdays) not sail on Wednesdays)
Night Trips
Friday Night Trips 30 to 60 min 30 to 60 min
Saturday/Sunday Trips Once nightly Once nightly
Facility and Vessel Maintenance
WIFL operates a fleet of four RO-RO vessels. At full capacity, the vessels can carry 149 passen-
gers, 18 to 21 vehicles, or 2 fully loaded semi trucks. In age, the vessels range from 7 to 40 years
old. Two boats were recently sold due to age (Interview with Washington Island Ferry Line,
February 4, 2010).
Vessels are replaced based on a number of factors, including capacity demand, usefulness in the
fleet, cost of modification, and payback period. As a private operator, WIFL undergoes a rigorous
cost-benefit exercise to determine the short- and long-term implications of new vessel purchases,
including changing technologies and new potential governmental regulation requirements.
The spike in fuel costs in 2008 forced WIFL to find ways to limit the financial impact of the
cost increases. WIFL began implementing new fueling strategies, purchased new fueling equip-
ment, changed fueling vendors, and created a reserve fund. In addition, WIFL sought to lock in
fuel prices by buying a bulk of 2009's fuel in advance instead of at market rates. WIFL crew were
also required to undergo spill containment training in the event of fuel leaks and reduced the
amount of time spent idling.
WIFL owns two docking facilities and leases two others. Wisconsin State Department of
Transportation (WDOT) grants assisted in the construction of a mainland breakwall. WIFL con-
ducts all of its daily maintenance needs in an onsite maintenance facility, although it does not
have dry dock capability. Dry docking occurs at a facility 40 miles away.
Staffing Levels
WIFL is run with a staff of 12 to 14 people in the off season, with staff size expanding to 30 to
32 during the summer months. WIFL has not had difficulty recruiting crews and staff; it has
more often been the case that more people are looking for marine-based work in the area than
there is capacity to hire. In addition, 100 percent of the operation is island based--meaning that
workers start and end their day on the island.
Financial Structure
Fares
The fares charged by WIFL are shown in Table 5-15. Tickets can be purchased at the office and
ticket booth. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance on WIFL's web site. Discounted ticket
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Ferry Case Studies 55
Table 5-15. Fare structure (round trip).
Passenger Type Fare
Adult $11.50
Child (611 years) $5.50
Automobile (passengers not $25.00
included)
Motorcycle $15.00
Bicycle $4.00
Island resident children Free
books are available for regular riders, who often have a "house" account. Island school children
also ride the ferry for free. Tickets are collected during boarding by crew members.
Despite the financial difficulties of recent times, WIFL did not raise its rates for the season of
April 2010 to April 2011. They expect to be able to maintain rates at the same level during the year.
Funding Sources
As a private operator, WIFL receives no public funding for day-to-day operating costs. Door
County applied for grant funding from WDOT for the construction of docks and breakwalls.
Planning Issues
Planning, whether short- or long-term, is critically important to the continued operations of
WIFL. As a private operation, WIFL must strive continually to maintain a balance of costs and
expenditures. Some short-term goals identified to maintain the balance of costs and expendi-
tures include the following (Interview with Washington Island Ferry Line, February 4, 2010):
· Acquire new fueling equipment/fuel truck to avoid a fuel surcharge.
· Change fuel supply vendors.
· Undergo spill containment training.
· Create a reserve fund in case of emergencies or unexpected expenditures.
· Look closely at engine manufacturers to understand optimum fuel burn rate.
· Reduce idling time.
· Make decisions on future engine purchases based on the ability to reduce consumption but
keep horsepower.
· Undergo engine repowers and resell old engines.
· Purchase new engines before new EPA emission requirements take effect.
Long-term goals include the following:
· Improve "value added" experience for passengers.
· Include more deck space for passengers to move around on new boats.
· Provide more education for crew and staff, especially for information sharing.
· Provide more service at a lower cost.
· Balance capital costs against the benefits of operating savings and environmental compliance.
· Provide shore transportation alternatives.
Environmental and Regulatory Issues
Keeping abreast of current environmental issues and regulations pertinent to the WIFL oper-
ation is a constant effort for the staff. Certain aspects of environmental regulations, such as safety
and security for vessels, which are mandated by the Coast Guard, are well known because of their
relevance to day-to-day operations. Other regulations and possible future regulations related to
environmental contaminants, such as air pollution, require more nuanced response because of
the complex nature of environmental pollution.
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56 Guidelines for Ferry Transportation Services
The state of Wisconsin does not have an independent environmental regulatory system sep-
arate from the federal government, so WIFL maintains standards that meet federal requirements.
WIFL is a member of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), a national association repre-
senting the interests of owners and operators of passenger vessels, which provides a variety of
services to assist in making daily operations possible. The PVA provides operators with informa-
tion on environmentally related transportation issues such as emissions and energy and updates
on issues expected to be important in the near future. In addition, operators have experts at their
disposal through the PVA if there are any questions regarding new requirements and regulations
that have been passed or implemented. This was identified as very helpful by WIFL as they do
not have the capability in house to keep abreast of and understand all of the new rules and man-
dates that come down from the government, often from different departments.
Over the past few years, the water level in Lake Michigan has fallen drastically, enough so that
WIFL needed to build a new ramp at the mainland dock as well as make modifications to the ter-
minal on Washington Island. This is a concern since the drop in water level is a recent occur-
rence; Lake Michigan's water level had been stable for the previous 20 to 25 years. It is not known
if Lake Michigan will return to its previous water level. WIFL spent $400,000 to make improve-
ments to the docks, which are owned or leased exclusively by WIFL. Unforseen expenses have a
significant impact on financial stability and overall business health.
Land Use Issues
Due to the relatively rural location of WIFL's mainland dock, it is not expected that there will
be any landside development around the ferry terminal. As the island's population is relatively
stable at around 700 year-round residents, it is not expected that the island will experience a dra-
matic increase in traffic.
Regulatory Issues
Despite being a private operation, WIFL falls under the oversight of several different state
departments. The fares WIFL charges, while not needing approval by the state, must be submit-
ted each year to the Wisconsin State Office of the Commissioner of Railroads, which oversees all
tariffs in the state. WIFL falls under the Railroads Commission because of its role as a carrier of
intrastate commerce. In addition to the tariff oversight, the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources (WDNR) regulates all permits for dock construction and dredging. WIFL docks are
required to have WDNR permits under the same rules as marinas. WIFL docks are recognized
as commercial maritime facilities with a strong public interest. WDNR has repeatedly placed
conditions on WIFL permits that would require unlimited public access and use. In the past,
WIFL has gone to court to contest regulations required by the state as part of a permit applica-
tion for dock maintenance construction; WIFL settled one case out of court and won one case.
The Coast Guard plays a large role in the continued operation of WIFL. The Coast Guard must
certify each ferry as well as oversee all aspects of safety while the boat is in operation. WIFL's
working relationship with the Coast Guard has evolved over the last 10 years, developing into a
respectful partnership. It was noted that the Coast Guard has become more customer service-
oriented and more open to feedback from the operators, which has allowed the partnership to
occur.
A pending issue for WIFL is the upcoming Tier 2 engine standards soon to take effect. WIFL
has come up with some strategies to ensure that all boats will be in compliance by the time the
rule takes effect. Two of these strategies are (1) streamlining the emission systems and boat life-
cycles (moving toward greater energy efficiency by reducing heat, lights, generators, and standby
power) and (2) planning to repower two ferries before the new tier takes effect (Interview with
Washington Island Ferry Line, February 4, 2010).
