The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, on behalf of the M-495 Commuter Fast Ferry Stakeholder Group administered by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, is requesting information from ferry service owner/operators and other industry representatives regarding the operation of proposed commuter passenger ferry service from Woodbridge, Virginia, to Joint Base Anacostia Bolling and the Department of Homeland Security (Primary Route) and other destinations (e.g., Amazon HQ2, National Airport, The Wharf, Old Town Alexandria, etc.) as additional routes.
Service will run along the Occoquan, Potomac, and Anacostia Rivers - designated as the “M-495 Marine Highway” by the U.S. Maritime Administration. The ferry service operation is intended to meet the needs of the commuter market, particularly during the AM and PM rush hours; providing consistent/reliable service, operating schedules based on destination employment hours and vessel amenities to include free WIFI and concessions. Fares are expected to be competitive with existing transit costs, including the Virginia Railway Express and the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes operated by TransUrban, relative to time savings.
Operators and other industry representatives are strongly encouraged to include plans for market-driven expansion plans in the region, including the establishment of additional routes along M-495 and recommendations for providing off-peak and night and weekend excursions to points of interest in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Respondents are also asked to address the feasibility for small package freight deliveries in the region on behalf of companies like Federal Express, DHL, UPS, USPS, and Amazon.
The Fast Ferry Stakeholder Group is comprised of leadership from 40 organizations – public, private, and military sector representatives – that share the vision of providing an integrated transit service on the National Capital Region’s underutilized “blue” highway. Over the last decade, the Stakeholder Group has issued studies on critical elements of launching fast ferry, including market feasibility, route proving exercises and infrastructure gap analysis. Now, with a defined market and demonstrated feasibility, the group seeks to gain a greater understanding of operators’ abilities and strategic outlook on launching a sustainable commuter ferry system in the Washington, DC region.
This Request for Information is expected to inform a Request for Proposal. Please see the full RFI for more information:
Request for Information: M-495 Commuter Fast Ferry Operations
Responses are due at 5:00 p.m. EST on December 13, 2019, and should be submitted to:
Chuck Steigerwald
Director of Strategic Planning
PRTC
14700 Potomac Mills Road
Woodbridge, VA 22192
Email: csteigerwald@omniride.com
Fax: (703)-583-1377
Write “M-495 Fast Ferry” on the subject line of any communications.