Pensacola Bay Ferry Service Transportation Symposium November 13, 2015 Gulf Islands National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Birth of a Ferry Service  Ferry service to Fort Pickens was first proposed in 1978, envisioned to provide alternative access to Fort Pickens, offer a water excursion experience, and reduce traffic congestion to island beaches.  Alternative transportation studies concluded a ferry service would be economically viable and had strong local support

Hurricanes Ivan in 2004 and Dennis in 2005 destroyed much of the Ft. Pickens Road, emphasizing the need for this service.

The Fort Pickens Road was reopened in 2009, but remains at risk. Routine weather events – often only a south wind and high tide – can cover the road with water and sand making it impassible.

Dark Clouds & Silver Linings Ferry service had been hindered by lack of a suitable pier at Fort Pickens. Studies also revealed that to keep ticket prices affordable, it was important to minimize initial capital costs, i.e. provide boats. The impacts of the hurricane season led to Gulf Islands receiving $2.8 million transportation grant to build a new ferry pier, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 resulted in $4 million in NRDA funding for ferry boats.

 Mid-March through October  Daily during peak season; weekends in shoulder seasons  35 – 45 minute trips each leg  2 boats; clockwise and counterclockwise routes  Minimum 6 departures and 6 arrivals for each destination  Scheduling flexibility to best serve customers  Boats berthed overnight in Pensacola in Pensacola Ferry service route and schedule

MS - West Ship Island Ferry FL - Pensacola Bay Ferry The ferry to West Ship Island in Gulf Islands National Seashore has operated under an NPS concessions contract since The Pensacola Bay ferry will operate under a similar NPS concessions contract.

Ferry Service Contract Operator provides: Ferry operation Ferry operation Optional ferry excursions with 3 rd boat - sunset cruises, dolphin watching, dinner cruises, fireworks cruises Optional ferry excursions with 3 rd boat - sunset cruises, dolphin watching, dinner cruises, fireworks cruises Food service (on boat and at Fort Pickens) Food service (on boat and at Fort Pickens) Retail and rental at Ft. Pickens (food & beverage, souvenirs, campground store, bikes, beach chairs, umbrellas, kayaks, paddle boards, water toys) Retail and rental at Ft. Pickens (food & beverage, souvenirs, campground store, bikes, beach chairs, umbrellas, kayaks, paddle boards, water toys) Operation of Fort Pickens shuttle service Operation of Fort Pickens shuttle service

Ferry fleet  Service based on a 2 boat fleet (provided by NPS)  Back-up 3 rd boat (provided by operator)  149 passenger (class T) ferries  Design/build contract: award Sept. 2015, delivery Jan. 2017

 Connect ferry to beaches, historic sites, and campground  Service integrated with ferry schedule Fort Pickens shuttle service

 Solar powered electric trams - provided by NPS  Battery Langdon retrofitted for tram storage & charging station (5 kw solar inverter system) Fort Pickens shuttle

Fort Pickens arrival/departure area  Existing new ferry pier and shaded seating pavilion  Adaptive reuse of historic for buildings for ticket sales, concessions & exhibits  New restrooms, picnic shelter, bike storage/rental

Pensacola landing site Floating Breakwater Floating Dock Gangway Ferry Ticketing - Concession Sales - Rest Rooms Building Sheltered Passenger Waiting Area Drop-off

Pensacola concepts and costs Ticketing and Restroom Facility Concept Drawing Development Cost at Pensacola Departure Site Design & permitting Waterside - docks & breakwater Landside - site work Landside – Ticketing/Building Total $190,000 $896,000 $222,000 $589,000 $1,897,000

Pensacola concepts & funding City awarded $1,326,000 FLAP grant July 2014 for docks, breakwater, site work City awarded $589,000 FLAP grant July 2015 for landside facilities Ticketing and Restroom Facility Concept Drawing

Pensacola Beach departure site Escambia County awarded $784,000 FLAP grant for pier extension, ADA, ticket kiosk 2016 FLAP grant application Widen existing pier, $699,000 Shaded seating area, $1,160,000

Financial Modeling Projected financial viability for concession contract  Revenue sources: ticket fares, sales and rentals  60,000 passengers (range 36,000 – 95,000)  Ticketing range: $18/adults, $12/child  Local resident discount rate: $12/adult, $8/child  Potential for commuter pass: $7.50 (Mon. – Fri.)  Hop-on, hop-off privileges

Partnering for Success Partnership Agreements Development of Memorandums of Agreement between NPS, City of Pensacola and Escambia County to address departure site operational responsibilities Development of Memorandums of Agreement between NPS, City of Pensacola and Escambia County to address departure site operational responsibilities Marketing Collaboration Ferry operator, Visit Pensacola, hoteliers others: Ferry operator, Visit Pensacola, hoteliers others: Assistance with marketing, way finding, orientation Assistance with marketing, way finding, orientation Promote strong NPS branding and quality Promote strong NPS branding and quality Opportunities for ticket packages, off-site & advance sales Opportunities for ticket packages, off-site & advance sales

ScheduleSchedule BP/NRDA Settlement FundingDec Ferry Design/Build Contract AwardSept Memorandums of Agreement- City and SRIANov Ferry/Landside Concession Contract Dec Departure Sites Construction CompletedDec Ferry Vessel and Shuttle Vehicle DeliveryJan Transportation StartupMarch 2017

National Park Service National Park Service U.S. Dept. of the Interior U.S. Dept. of the Interior Dan Brown – Superintendent Gulf Islands National Seashore Thank You Questions?

Island Access – A Brief History  Santa Rosa Island National Monument established in NPS planners stated in 1938 that a road would be built.  1940 NPS Director Newton Drury rejects road: “It would be an extremely expensive road to build and maintain and it would seriously affect the natural values of the dunes and dunes vegetation.”

You Do the Math  WWII => No facilities + no road = County officials requested return of island to county ownership. Santa Rosa Island National Monument abolished by Congress in  Army accessed Fort Pickens exclusively by boat for 120 years. Fort Pickens decommissioned in 1947 and became a state park in  State built first road in 1949 – one lane oyster shell. Local officials lobbied for improvements. First 2 lane asphalt road built in  Gulf Islands National Seashore established in 1971; inherits Fort Pickens Road.

I see a pattern here… I see a pattern here… Since 1954 Fort Pickens Road damaged or destroyed repeatedly by storms: 1965 Hurricane Betsy, 1979 Hurricane Frederic, 1995 Hurricanes Erin & Opal, 2004 Hurricane Ivan, 2005 Hurricane Dennis Hurricanes Ivan in 2004 and Dennis in 2005 destroyed much of the Ft. Pickens Road, emphasizing the need for this service.

Best Laid Plans… and Other Options “The NPS intends to continue access via Fort Pickens Road to Fort Pickens, but there are situations that may arise in the future where conditions become so altered that it is no longer feasible to build or maintain the road. Other options to provide access would be considered…” General Management Plan, Sept. 2014

Buying some Time Q. At what point is it no longer a viable option to maintain this stretch of road?

Ft. Pickens Road - Count the Cost  $25 million to rebuild road twice following Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Dennis (2005) in successive years  Island littered with asphalt and road base material. Spending $11 million in BP NRDA funds to remove road debris  Hindsight: NPS Director Drury’s assessment in 1940 was correct