North American Ferries: Faster, Greener & Safer
Domestic ferries adjust their business models to met regulatory pressures and exceed environmental standards with an eye towards improved service. And, not a minute too soon. In North America, stalwarts in the ferry business continue to shorten journey times compared to surface alternatives, while at the same time, bring accessibility to barrier and coastal islands that would otherwise be impossible to reach. Established stakeholders continually fine-tune their operations in a…
Power to the People
Passenger ferry and tour boat market segment has suddenly been revitalized and is on the verge of becoming hot. It is no secret: new vessel construction for the passenger vessel industry came to a virtual standstill in conjunction with the troubled economy. For many operators, just keeping the shingle hung, skilled crew at hand and something afloat at the other end of the mooring line has required the most scrupulous cost controls and strategy. With the results of the past election now set and several years of waiting and seeing under their belts…
Safety Board Determines Cause of SI Ferry Accident
The National Transportation Safety Board today determined that the probable cause of a fatal accident involving a Staten Island ferry was the assistant captain's unexplained incapacitation and the failure of the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) to implement and oversee safe, effective operating procedures for its ferries. On October 15, 2003, the Staten Island ferry Andrew J. Barberi, owned and operated by the NYC DOT, was at the end of a regularly scheduled trip from Manhattan to Staten Island when it struck a maintenance pier at the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Fifteen crewmembers and an estimated 1,500 passengers were on board. Ten passengers died in the accident and 70 were injured.
NTSB Releases SI Ferry Report
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its report on the allision of the Staten Island ferry ANDREW J. BARBERI with the pier at St. George, Staten Island, New York on October 15, 2003. Eleven passengers died in the incident and 70 were injured. The primary causes of the casualty were the incapacitation of the assistant captain and the failure of the NYC Department of Transportation to implement and oversee safe, effective operating procedures on the ferries. A contributing cause was the failure of the captain to exercise his command responsibility. The NTSB recommends: that the NYC Department of Transportation implement a comprehensive safety management system and make related improvements…
