What if you could take a ferry across the Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis or Baltimore to the Eastern Shore, or all the way north to Havre de Grace and Cecil County?
A study is now underway to see if a Chesapeake Bay Passenger Ferry can become a reality. The hope is to set up "a sustainable passenger ferry service connecting key destinations along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, including Annapolis, Galesville, Chesapeake Beach, Solomons, St. Mary's City, Leonardtown, Crisfield, Cambridge, St. Michaels, Easton, Kent Narrows, Rock Hall, Chestertown, Chesapeake City, North East, Havre de Grace, and Baltimore."
Anne Arundel County tourism leaders put out a request for proposals earlier this month. It's only the first step in a long process.
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Kristen Pironis, executive director of Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, said travelers really want experiences, and the Chesapeake Bay is all about being on the water - but there isn't a lot of bay access for visitors (or, often, residents).
About the ferry, she said:
"This is not a new idea. This has been around forever and people have talked about it. What I think makes it different now is that people do want those experiences and people really do want equitable access to the Bay... We're finding that it's really important and it's really bringing people together."
The request for proposal notes that ferries were common on the bay in the late 19th and early 20th century, but the Bay Bridge changed all that to focus on vehicle transportation.
Pironis did say this proposal is not about getting cars off the road, but just "about figuring out what our visitors want and how it can also apply to the residents that are here."
The proposal mentions passenger ferry systems like the Cape May-Lewes Ferry in the Delaware Bay, the New York City Ferry, Outer Banks, N.C. Ferry, and the Block Island Ferry in Rhode Island. She said the organizers want to learn from those other systems and how they were funded, noting "it's going to be a mix of funding."
"It's not easy. If it was easy, it would have already been done," Pironis said. But ultimately she hopes the proposal will focus on the big picture of connecting the entire bay.
"The access to water is what gets people really involved and interested... It's really about the visitor experience, it's not about those county lines."
