The Q to Q ferry will set sail on the Fraser River for years to come.
New Westminster city council recently endorsed a plan for the ongoing Q to Q ferry service between the Quayside and Queensborough neighbourhoods. Council also directed staff to issue a request for proposals for a permanent ferry service operator and supported an enhancement to the operating budget to cover costs for the service.
According to a staff report, the total estimated operating cost to deliver the Q to Q ferry service for five years is just shy of $4 million. Staff anticipate that the funding sources identified in the current five-year financial plan will be sufficient to cover costs, but noted that updated signage, marketing, tickets and promotional materials will be required in 2020 and will cost an additional $45,000.
The city anticipates that $1 million in capital investment will be required in the coming years to build a new, more accessible ferry dock and to do additional maintenance and improvements to dock infrastructure, signage, weather protection and other infrastructure required for the ferry operation.
Staff recommended the city actively pursue sponsors to help offset the costs of operating the ferry and seek sponsorship or other support from TransLink and the provincial government.
“I am in support of the Q to Q ferry. I think it’s been a good service. I am a little concerned about what it is actually costing us to run and the long-term sustainability of the cost of it, considering the ridership we are having,” said Coun. Patrick Johnstone. “This report is asking us to commit to a five-year plan for the Q to Q. I am not comfortable with that five-year plan the way it is right now.”
Johnstone put forward a motion that council endorse the service plan laid out by staff, issue a request for proposals for another year of service, enhance the operating budget to cover the cost of the ferry for one year, and direct staff to engage with TransLink, the province and other community partners in developing a sustainable long-term plan to connect the Q to Q, while addressing some affordability concerns.
“I think it is the right time for us to have another go at talking to senior agencies about whether there is any opportunity to share any of those costs or find a way to make this service more affordable so that the city is not holding the burden of all of this transportation cost,” he said.
Council defeated Johnstone’s motion and supported a process to find a long-term operator for the service.
“We have done a two-year trial and I recognize, and I think we all recognize, that there are costs associated with making this a permanent all-year-round service,” said Mayor Jonathan Cote. “I certainly do support looking for partnerships with the provincial government and TransLink, but those may not necessarily be imminent.”
Cote said he supports having a long-term contract in place so residents who rely on the service know it’s something they can count on in the future.
According to a staff report, the Q to Q provided more than 80,000 ferry trips from May 2018 to June 2019, with half of those trips taking place in the three months of summer. Between May 2018 and May 2019, the net cost to the city to operate the ferry service was $703,138.
The City of New Westminster had hoped to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge between the Queensborough and Quayside neighbourhoods. After determining that plan had “significant” costs, the city launched a two-month demonstration for the ferry service in 2017and embarked on the current pilot ferry service in May 2018.
