Ferry supporters upset by possible closure
Some Fredericktown area residents are upset that the Fayette County commissioners are considering the possibility of ending operations of the ferryboat Frederick in September.
The ferry’s existence has been in jeopardy for some time, as operating expenses have outstripped revenues, and ridership of the ferry has dropped since last year’s opening of the Bakewell Bridge on the Mon/Fayette Expressway that, like the ferry, takes motorists over the Monongahela River.
The ferry runs between Fredericktown in Washington County and the village of East Fredericktown in Luzerne Township in Fayette County. It is reported to be the last cable-driven ferry east of the Mississippi River.
Figures from the Fayette County controller’s office show that the ferry has lost money in each of the last four years and is more than $36,000 in the red already for this year, when salaries, benefits and operating expenses are deducted from revenues.
Charges for service dropped from $91,062 in 2009 to $38,218 in 2012. During that same time period, salaries and benefits increased from $98,454 to $117,010.
Jennifer Holleran is one of four area residents who started a Facebook page dedicated to the ferry in February. The page, Friends of the Fredericktown Ferry, has 828 followers. Holleran is upset by this week’s news that the commissioners next week intend to vote to rescind a motion to rehabilitate the ferry and to consider halting service in September.
“Our concern is that they are going to shut it down and give up a $1 million grant,” Holleran said.
The grant, $970,874 from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, was for rehabilitation of the ferry. It required local matching funds of $242,719 and was initially approved in 2008.
“That grant was originally derived from a pilot project on ferryboats in the Pittsburgh pool. When we were halfway through the pilot project, we decided not to go any further with it and decided to give the money to the Fredericktown ferry,” said Jim McCarville, executive director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, which covers a 12-county area in southwestern Pennsylvania.
“That grant could still be used, but they would have to re-justify any use,” McCarville said. “If the Port of Pittsburgh is involved in any allocation or reallocation of that grant, we would need justification. We’ve not been approached by anybody to review this. If Fayette County received authority from the Federal Transit Administration, we may not need to get involved, but I suspect we would be.”
Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan previously sat on the Port of Pittsburgh Commission.
“It may be difficult to keep that money in the area, particularly for that project,” Vaughan said.
Holleran said she was unaware that new approvals would be needed for the grant money to be used for the Frederick. Holleran said steps could be taken to promote the ferry that may increase ridership.
She quoted a 2004 study prepared by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission for Fayette and Washington counties, which share the cost of operating the ferry, that, in part, suggested signs on approach routes to let motorists know if the ferry was open or closed. The study stated that such signs also would draw more attention to the ferry, but in the nine years since the study was released, no such signs have been installed.
“There are a lot more people who would ride it if they promoted it,” Holleran said. “Last year, we had people come down from Pittsburgh for the Ferry Festival to ride the ferry and they couldn’t because the ferry was closed.”
Holleran said her group is trying to promote the ferry by preparing a display for the Interstate 79 welcome center in Kirby, Greene County.
“We’ve handed out flyers asking people to contact the commissioners to show support and to go ride the ferry,” Holleran said.
Holleran said that while no formal proposals for promotional plans have been presented to either the Washington County or Fayette County commissioners, emails have been sent to the commissioners of both counties asking them to continue operation of the ferry.
“Fayette County hasn’t really been keeping Washington County in the know,” Holleran said.
Vaughan said operation of the ferry primarily has been a Fayette County function, though Washington County contributes financially.
“The last several years we’ve told Fayette County that it’s basically their call. We’re in a holding pattern waiting to see. We haven’t looked at any options yet,” Vaughan said regarding the future of the ferry if Fayette County decides to withdraw it’s support for its operation. “We know in politics anything can happen at a public meeting.”