Quantitative Procedures for Designing and Operating Ferry Services (2023) / Chapter Skim
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Chapter 3 - Capacity Concepts and Analysis Methods: Passenger-Only Ferries
Chapter 3 - Capacity Concepts and Analysis Methods: Passenger-Only Ferries
Pages 31-43
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From page 31... ...
Quantitative procedures outlined in this chapter include those presented in the discussions of Equation 1: Calculating operating margin and Equation 2: Passenger boarding station throughput. Optimizing the Service Schedule While many factors, such as preferred sailing times for customers and integration with connecting transit, influence schedule planning decisions, the schedule planning component with the largest impact on route capacity is service frequency.
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From page 32... ...
Developing an understanding of operating margin needs can support schedule planning, system performance, and operating efficiencies through: • Comparison of operating margin to on-time performance to assess potential efficiencies (if there is too much time built into the schedule) or the need for additional operating margin (to make the schedule achievable)
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From page 33... ...
The operator questionnaire asked how and when operating margin is included in service schedules and whether there are instances of extra or layover time built into schedules to allow vessels that are running late to get back on time. Based on the questionnaire results, best practices to account for an operating margin include those discussed in the following: • While extra time is not built into the schedule specifically to allow vessels that are running late to catch up to the schedule, dwell times on many routes are varied to make the schedule achievable.
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From page 34... ...
The following sections provide best practices and guidance for terminal design and operating considerations for reducing dwell time. The considerations discussed include those related to fare collection and passenger counting, passenger throughput, queuing space planning and management, bicycle management for passenger-only ferries, and multimodal connections.
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From page 35... ...
Location of fare collection: The location of fare collection or validation in relation to queuing and vessel boarding determines whether fare collection becomes the limiting factor in passenger throughput. Fare collection can occur on board the vessel, at the point where passengers board the vessel, or in the terminal before passengers enter a prepaid holding area.
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From page 36... ...
Location (Passengers/Minute) Manual collection of 14–15 Can be challenging to cash or tickets On board vessel complete on short crossings Scan of fare card 21–26 or medium/large vessels Scan of mobile ticket 15–201 Fare collection occurs Manual collection of 14–15 during embarking or cash or tickets At the dock or disembarking process and Scan of fare card 21–26 boarding ramp becomes the limiting factor Scan of mobile ticket 15–201 on throughput/dwell time Minimizes dwell time by Barrier and holding area Varies Terminal completing fare transactions outside of dwell time 1 Source: Observations by NYC Ferry.
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From page 37... ...
For example, residents and tourists the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, May require space at terminal for and Nantucket Steamship Authority uses additional queuing lanes or reservations for its high-speed verification of reservations passenger-only ferry service and reports that the system manages dwell time efficiently. Provide added terminal Adding terminal staff during special Increased operating costs staff during periods of events or peak weekend periods to high volume assist with higher volumes and questions from first-time ferry users can help reduce bottlenecks in the terminal and minimize dwell times.
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From page 38... ...
Table 13 summarizes best practices for queuing space design and management used by various passenger only ferry operators, as gathered from the operator questionnaire and review of planning documents and operator guidance. Bicycle Management for Passenger-Only Ferries Considerations for accommodating and managing bicycles on passenger-only ferries include minimizing dwell time impacts from bicycles loading and unloading over gangways and ramps that may be narrow or steep, and storage space on the vessel, which may be limited.
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From page 39... ...
• Capacity coordination: Generally, ferries have a much higher passenger capacity than connecting transit modes such as buses. Because ferries unload in large surges of passengers, connecting transit vehicles may need to be scheduled to arrive at ferry terminals in bunches rather than spaced out evenly, as is preferred for other types of transit stops.
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From page 40... ...
• Wayfinding and travel information: Interagency coordination of travel information such as routes, schedules, and real-time travel data can improve passenger experience and terminal throughput. Terminal Design. Types of multimodal connections and their considerations for terminal design are summarized in the following: • Bicycle: Capacity planning considerations for bicycle connections include access (how bicycles get to and from the terminal)
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From page 41... ...
Discussed are best practices and procedures for the vessel–terminal interface, vessel design, and how sizing and siting terminal elements affect the rate at which passengers move through the terminal. Optimal vessel and vessel– terminal interface design varies by operator and terminal and depends on factors such as the layout of terminal facilities and in-water space available for vessel maneuvering, conditions near the terminal, and operating or schedule requirements.
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From page 42... ...
Based on the observations and calculations, the research team determined that doubling the width of boarding doors can increase passenger throughput, but marginal increases in door width from about 5 feet to 7 feet have minimal impact on passenger throughput. A procedure for calculating the passenger throughput of a given vessel boarding station (assuming that the boarding process does not include fare collection or validation)
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From page 43... ...
W = width of vessel boarding station. This equation is intended to provide a framework for understanding the relationship between variables.
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