The Q to Q ferry service is almost back to its pre-pandemic sailing schedule.
The return to pre-pandemic levels comes after cuts were made to the ferry schedule’s hours of service in October 2022, in an effort to keep the service in line with the city’s budget. At the time, city staff told the Record that the reduced hours also reflected the fact that ridership generally becomes much more focused on commuting hours in the winter season.
New, extended hours are now in effect for the ferry that runs between the Queensborough and Quayside neighbourhoods – and they’re longer than what’s been offered since the pandemic began.
“With the worst of the pandemic further behind us, we have decided to increase the service hours back to near pre-pandemic hours earlier in the year to reflect the city’s operating plan for the ferry that was approved by council in 2019,” said Mike Anderson, the city’s manager of transportation. “During the worst of the pandemic, the uncertain financial situation and significantly reduced ferry ridership warranted a reduction in service but we now need to understand how the community will respond to pre-pandemic service levels throughout the year.”
On weekdays, the Q to Q will leave Quayside every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It will leave Queensborough every 30 minutes from 7:15 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.
On Saturdays, ferry service begins at 10 a.m. at Quayside, running every half hour until 8:30 p.m. The Saturday service begins at 10:15 in Queensborough, with the final sailing taking place at 8:45 p.m.
Sunday and statutory holiday service starts at 10 a.m. at Quayside, with the last ferry departing for Queensborough at 7:30 p.m. For folks leaving Queensborough, the first ferry leaves at 10:15 and the last one runs at 7:45 p.m.
Instead of morning and late afternoon service, the Q to Q ferry has returned to daylong service.
“We received feedback from a number of residents when service was reduced in the fall, and also through recent public engagement for the Queensborough transportation plan,” Anderson noted. “Many people said that the limited ferry hours in the fall and winter – with no service through the middle of the day – make it difficult and less appealing to use the service.”
In the fall of 2022, city staff reported that ferry ridership had increased from 2021 – reaching around 65 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels.
“Ridership throughout 2022 was still about two-thirds of pre-pandemic numbers overall, but changes in ridership were quite noticeable when we adjusted service levels up and down last year,” Anderson said. “Increasing hours to pre-pandemic levels now will give us a better understanding of the potential year-round recovery and whether the service is sustainable in the long term with new travel patterns in a post-pandemic world.”
The Aragon Group built a ferry dock at its Port Royal development in the mid-2000s, but the idea for a ferry service really gained ground when plans for a pedestrian crossing between the Quayside and Queensborough neighbourhoods were derailed by cost (estimated at $39 million in 2016) and regulatory issues. Instead, the city launched a two-month pilot of the Q to Q ferry service in the summer of 2017, ultimately deciding to offer the service year-round.
“The Q to Q ferry service has required a significant ongoing investment from the city, and especially in the past few years,” Anderson said in an email to the Record. “With operating costs rising, it is important that we continue to see increased ridership going forward to ensure the long-term viability of the service.”
Budget requests
At city hall, funding for the Q to Q ferry has been raised during the 2023 budget discussions.
As part of the 2023 budget process, the engineering department is seeking a $100,000 enhancement to the Q to Q’s budget.
The budget request is related to a reduction in anticipated sponsorship revenue, which has been “nonexistent” since the pandemic. A report to council stated that there is a possibility of some sponsorship in 2023, but it’s unlikely to achieve the projected amount.
The engineering department has requested an additional enhancement of $50,000 for the ferry service.
“Ridership continues to remain below pre-pandemic levels but is recovering slowly,” said the report. “The enhancement reflects fare revenue lower than budgeted, as it is unlikely ridership will recover to pre-pandemic levels, especially early in the year.”
Coun. Nadine Nakagawa said the Q to Q ferry is an item that comes up during the city’s budget discussions, and she thinks the city needs to have a conversation with the community about what to do with that service.
“I know there's people who are really passionate and love that service and use it,” she said at a Jan. 30 budget workshop. “I think we have to have a conversation about financial viability of that service at some point.”
The city’s draft five-year capital plan also includes funds related to the Q to Q ferry, including $216,950 for the completion of mobility-related studies, new mobility initiatives, and ongoing operational support for Q to Q ferry ($76,950 in 2023; $45,000 in 2024; $45,000 in 2025; and $50,000 in 2026.)
The draft plan also includes $1,275,300 in 2023 (and $25,000 annually in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027) for improvements to Q to Q ferry docks and passenger facilities.
Coun. Ruby Campbell sought more information about that budget item, saying: “It's a lot of money.”
Anderson told council that the dock work is multifaceted, and includes replacing the dock on the Quayside/downtown side with a concrete float (including pilings) and replacing the gangway on the Queensborough side to make it more accessible.
“We're also replacing the debris barrier on the Queensborough side, and depending on the funding, installing a passenger shelter on the Queensborough side,” he said. “So it's a multifaceted project. All scheduled to happen this year.”
Anderson added that the work is “highly dependent” on approvals from regulatory authorities who work in the river, including dredging.
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