Good Move Duffy
Posted Thursday, January 12, 2006 at 04:31PM in rochester
Rochester's new mayor Bob Duffy has started his term by doing the best possible thing he could have: He cut the funding on the Fast Ferry fiasco.
For the non-Rochesterians, a little history:
A few years ago, some local business-types and politicians decided it would be a good idea to develop plans for a ferry between Rochester and Toronto (across Lake Ontario). Many in Rochester took up arms for this holy cause, as the general consensus was that it could only promote economic growth locally as businesses cashed in on that sweet, sweet tourism money.
The first problem quickly became apparent: while a boat ride on road-trip to Toronto sounds like a great idea, very few people in Toronto are really in all that much of a hurry to get to Rochester.
As such, the general response in Toronto was “meh.” Somehow, with minimal support from the other side, Rochester went ahead with the plan anyway. In fact, there was some outright negative feedback from Toronto media, but that didn’t crush the wills of the indignant Rochester political community. What followed would have been a comedy of errors if it hadn’t been so damned expensive:
- First Rochester spent a buttload of money to build a really pretty terminal in Charlotte (which isn’t really Rochester at all. Rochester is several miles south from the lake).
- The boat was built in Australia for another buttload of money, prompting Toronto to say, “This is really happening? Well, okay…”
- As the ship made its journey to its new home, it damaged its hull in New York City and had to stop for repairs.
- When it finally got here, it need more engine repairs.
- Soon after, a surprise discovery was made of additional costs for border services imposed by the Canadian government.
- Then, just as things were about to get underway, Toronto went, “but we haven’t even built a terminal yet!” Voyagers for the first few weeks arrived to basically a tarp and a big pole.
- Rochester, by this point, had already put giant “FERRY” signs all over the highways across the county.
- However, still nobody rode the damn thing for four months, so the original company went bankrupt and the ship was seized for resale.
- Right around this time Toronto finished building their terminal and gave Rochester a collective “What the hell is going on with this thing, eh?”
- Not yet convinced of the entire idea being a bad one, the city of Rochester itself bought the ferry at auction for yet another buttload of money.
- A few more repairs and general shenanigans later, they finally got it running again – and once again, nobody rode it.
- They finally suspended running the thing indefinitely until Duffy pulled the stopper out of the bottom.
Find more of the story at Wikipedia. Thank you Mayor Duffy. I certainly hope he’s not the only person working downtown with a brain in his skull.
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