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| Istanbul shows ferries have a future | Istanbul shows ferries have a future |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Istanbul rush hour commute is like no other. Passengers feast on toasted sandwiches, tea and freshly brewed coffee before taking one of a choice of seats. Some even get to light up a cigarette out the back. | The Istanbul rush hour commute is like no other. Passengers feast on toasted sandwiches, tea and freshly brewed coffee before taking one of a choice of seats. Some even get to light up a cigarette out the back. |
| That’s because 300,000 people in Turkey’s biggest city take the ferry to work every day. | That’s because 300,000 people in Turkey’s biggest city take the ferry to work every day. |
| “Besides enjoying a peaceful ride, it was the fastest way to reach the office,” said graphic designer Baris Akdogan who took the boat between the city’s European and Asian shores to work every day until early this year. “The alternatives can be a real pain … [the] bus takes at least an hour or the subway can be really crowded,” said fellow passenger Melike Son, a project manager who gets breakfast on board. | “Besides enjoying a peaceful ride, it was the fastest way to reach the office,” said graphic designer Baris Akdogan who took the boat between the city’s European and Asian shores to work every day until early this year. “The alternatives can be a real pain … [the] bus takes at least an hour or the subway can be really crowded,” said fellow passenger Melike Son, a project manager who gets breakfast on board. |
| In Istanbul, more than 100 ferries and sea buses carry up to 2,100 commuters per trip with many routes served by eight departures an hour. The Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri (IDO) or Istanbul Sea Bus company, the largest maritime transport corporation in the world, carried 47 million passengers around the city last year, with a similar number using other ferry companies in the city. | In Istanbul, more than 100 ferries and sea buses carry up to 2,100 commuters per trip with many routes served by eight departures an hour. The Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri (IDO) or Istanbul Sea Bus company, the largest maritime transport corporation in the world, carried 47 million passengers around the city last year, with a similar number using other ferry companies in the city. |
| But around the world, holding up ferry transport as a serious commuting alternative has regularly been ridiculed. Critics maintain they are too slow and expensive, can reach only selected parts of a city and are no match for mass transit systems such as subway trains or even buses. | But around the world, holding up ferry transport as a serious commuting alternative has regularly been ridiculed. Critics maintain they are too slow and expensive, can reach only selected parts of a city and are no match for mass transit systems such as subway trains or even buses. |
| Among the criticisms heard in New York are that fares are too expensive, winters are too cold, and the ferries too slow | |
| In February, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announced that a new ferry service for the city is to begin operating in 2017. New York is “the ultimate coastal city,” he said, and plans to spend $55m (£36m) linking Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and elsewhere by boat. As in Istanbul, De Blasio’s plan would see ferry fares the same as bus and subway, and outlying districts are expected to enjoy increased service. | In February, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announced that a new ferry service for the city is to begin operating in 2017. New York is “the ultimate coastal city,” he said, and plans to spend $55m (£36m) linking Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and elsewhere by boat. As in Istanbul, De Blasio’s plan would see ferry fares the same as bus and subway, and outlying districts are expected to enjoy increased service. |
| “Currently New York misses an opportunity for market expansion by not being better integrated,” said Roberta Weisbrod, a maritime consultant and executive director of Worldwide Ferry Safety Association. “But there are strong hopes that that will change in the near future.” | |
| Among the criticisms heard in New York is that fares are too expensive, winters too cold for ferry use and that ferries can’t move people as quickly as subway trains. | Among the criticisms heard in New York is that fares are too expensive, winters too cold for ferry use and that ferries can’t move people as quickly as subway trains. |
| “My concerns are classic even among ferry enthusiasts [and] include whether specific routes will attract adequate ridership, require significantly higher levels of operating subsidies than other modes of transport,” said Gene Russianoff from the Straphangers public transport advocacy organisation, who calls himself “a ferry sceptic, not a ferry opponent”. | “My concerns are classic even among ferry enthusiasts [and] include whether specific routes will attract adequate ridership, require significantly higher levels of operating subsidies than other modes of transport,” said Gene Russianoff from the Straphangers public transport advocacy organisation, who calls himself “a ferry sceptic, not a ferry opponent”. |
| There’s much world cities can learn from the example set by Turkey’s biggest metropolis. Unlike Istanbul’s ferry system, New York’s Pier 11 at Wall Street, for example, has no bus or mass transit connections. London’s Woolwich Ferry is forced to compete with a footbridge and light rail serving the same route. | There’s much world cities can learn from the example set by Turkey’s biggest metropolis. Unlike Istanbul’s ferry system, New York’s Pier 11 at Wall Street, for example, has no bus or mass transit connections. London’s Woolwich Ferry is forced to compete with a footbridge and light rail serving the same route. |
| “We’re well on our way to reaching our goal of getting 12 million passengers on the Thames by 2020,” said Andy Thompson, Transport for London’s (TfL’s) head of London river services, “and TfL demand models suggest river bus commuter numbers could double in the next five years with the right investment in new piers and riverside development delivery.” | “We’re well on our way to reaching our goal of getting 12 million passengers on the Thames by 2020,” said Andy Thompson, Transport for London’s (TfL’s) head of London river services, “and TfL demand models suggest river bus commuter numbers could double in the next five years with the right investment in new piers and riverside development delivery.” |
| But even if they do, ferry traffic would account for just 20 million of the current 3.5 billion annual journeys taken in London. | But even if they do, ferry traffic would account for just 20 million of the current 3.5 billion annual journeys taken in London. |
| In other cities, ferry infrastructure is popular mainly because it is well integrated. Manly Wharf in Sydney’s north-east is connected to a fleet of buses that move commuters deep into suburbia, and the Hong Kong-mainland China passenger ferry line is linked by coach to a host of Chinese provinces. | In other cities, ferry infrastructure is popular mainly because it is well integrated. Manly Wharf in Sydney’s north-east is connected to a fleet of buses that move commuters deep into suburbia, and the Hong Kong-mainland China passenger ferry line is linked by coach to a host of Chinese provinces. |
| Something New York and many other city ferries lack are the lateral-thrust propellers that give many Istanbul boats a critical edge in attracting travellers. The propellers help ferries pull up alongside docks allowing passengers to embark and disembark quickly. In the way the airline Ryanair whittles profit from its ultra-quick turnaround schedule, the Istanbul ferry system is able to do likewise, and it must. | Something New York and many other city ferries lack are the lateral-thrust propellers that give many Istanbul boats a critical edge in attracting travellers. The propellers help ferries pull up alongside docks allowing passengers to embark and disembark quickly. In the way the airline Ryanair whittles profit from its ultra-quick turnaround schedule, the Istanbul ferry system is able to do likewise, and it must. |
| With projected ridership of over 36 million by 2018, ferry services are a substantial part of New York's transit mix | With projected ridership of over 36 million by 2018, ferry services are a substantial part of New York's transit mix |
| Istanbul’s ferries remain popular because they are deeply connected to other transport systems. In Kadikoy, a teeming district on Istanbul’s Asian shore, just 20 steps separate ferry stations from the entrance of a 16-stop metro line that stretches to the city southern limits. A two-minute walk brings commuters to a major bus terminal. | |
| What’s more, Istanbul is able to call on a series of natural advantages many other cities can’t. A history of popular, municipal-run ferry use dates back to 1853, predating the first Bosphorus bridge – the only alternative way to cross the city – by 120 years. As a result, much of Istanbul’s central shoreline is publicly owned, unlike in cities across the Atlantic such as New York or San Diego. Pensioners (and accredited journalists) travel for free on Istanbul’s public transport and locals say ferries are a link to the city’s historical soul. | What’s more, Istanbul is able to call on a series of natural advantages many other cities can’t. A history of popular, municipal-run ferry use dates back to 1853, predating the first Bosphorus bridge – the only alternative way to cross the city – by 120 years. As a result, much of Istanbul’s central shoreline is publicly owned, unlike in cities across the Atlantic such as New York or San Diego. Pensioners (and accredited journalists) travel for free on Istanbul’s public transport and locals say ferries are a link to the city’s historical soul. |
| Despite this, the city’s ferries face a challenging future. A city whose population has increased 15-fold since 1960 means residents are increasingly moving inland to find affordable housing. Despite the equivalent of the entire population of Pittsburgh using ferries every day, that represents just a tiny percentage of Istanbul’s overall commuter total; the majority use metrobuses that run on dedicated highway lanes. | Despite this, the city’s ferries face a challenging future. A city whose population has increased 15-fold since 1960 means residents are increasingly moving inland to find affordable housing. Despite the equivalent of the entire population of Pittsburgh using ferries every day, that represents just a tiny percentage of Istanbul’s overall commuter total; the majority use metrobuses that run on dedicated highway lanes. |
| Local media reports that the IDO is losing money to a combination of competition and mismanagement, and city authorities are planning to reduce ferry services on some routes. Even as Istanbul has been recently noted as the world’s most congested city, ferry traffic is falling as authorities invest more in underwater rail and road transportation systems linking the European and Asian districts. And though its ferry service may be romantic and relaxing, it can’t compete with modern technology: the recently opened Marmaray train line takes passengers under the Bosphorus Strait in just four minutes. | Local media reports that the IDO is losing money to a combination of competition and mismanagement, and city authorities are planning to reduce ferry services on some routes. Even as Istanbul has been recently noted as the world’s most congested city, ferry traffic is falling as authorities invest more in underwater rail and road transportation systems linking the European and Asian districts. And though its ferry service may be romantic and relaxing, it can’t compete with modern technology: the recently opened Marmaray train line takes passengers under the Bosphorus Strait in just four minutes. |
| The future of ferry commuting will be coloured by faster, cleaner vessels – though experts say they’re unlikely to ever be the centrepiece of urban transportation. The Norwegian Zero Cat 120, the world’s first battery-powered, zero-emission car ferry, is set to begin operating this year. However, this model needs to be recharged after every six-kilometre trip, and in cities prone to blackouts caused by storms and hurricanes, would result in chaos. | The future of ferry commuting will be coloured by faster, cleaner vessels – though experts say they’re unlikely to ever be the centrepiece of urban transportation. The Norwegian Zero Cat 120, the world’s first battery-powered, zero-emission car ferry, is set to begin operating this year. However, this model needs to be recharged after every six-kilometre trip, and in cities prone to blackouts caused by storms and hurricanes, would result in chaos. |
| Related: Has the time come for floating cities? | Related: Has the time come for floating cities? |
| Others look to forecasts of increased passenger traffic as a sign of the strength of the ferry. “With projected ridership of over 36 million by 2018, ferry services are a substantial part of the transit mix in New York,” said Roland Lewis of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, a pro-ferry non-governmental organisation. | Others look to forecasts of increased passenger traffic as a sign of the strength of the ferry. “With projected ridership of over 36 million by 2018, ferry services are a substantial part of the transit mix in New York,” said Roland Lewis of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, a pro-ferry non-governmental organisation. |
| Weisbrod thinks the broader future of urban ferry use looks similarly positive. “It is an old form of transport that was supplanted by bus, auto and train [but] Sydney, Brisbane, Stockholm, London, New York and Bangkok already have linear urban ferries; Manila, the most dense city on earth, just started a linear urban service on the Passig River; Mumbai is considering coastal service,” she said. | Weisbrod thinks the broader future of urban ferry use looks similarly positive. “It is an old form of transport that was supplanted by bus, auto and train [but] Sydney, Brisbane, Stockholm, London, New York and Bangkok already have linear urban ferries; Manila, the most dense city on earth, just started a linear urban service on the Passig River; Mumbai is considering coastal service,” she said. |
| “Now that those forms are suffering congestion, ferry transport is being reconsidered.” | “Now that those forms are suffering congestion, ferry transport is being reconsidered.” |