It's smoother sailing for Boston-bound commuters who can now purchase Charlie Tickets to take both the Salem ferry and the commuter rail.
City leaders and state transportation officials announced a deal yesterday that lets Salem ferry passengers purchase a monthly pass that gives them access to the commuter rail while also letting them board the 7 a.m. ferry to Boston and the 5:10 and 7:10 p.m. return trips to Salem.
Commuters can start using the passes Monday.
"We are really happy about it," Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll said yesterday afternoon. "The harbor becomes our Route 128 corridor."
Driscoll called the passes a win for the city, commuters and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the state agency that oversees the T. Commuters now have more flexibility going into and out of Boston, the mayor said.
"This is helping pay for some of the costs associated with the boat," she said.
Since the ferry service's first year in 2005, passengers started asking about combining the passes, Driscoll said. Talks with the state started gaining steam earlier this year.
"(State transportation officials) couldn't have been more helpful in terms of working with us," the mayor said.
Prior to the announcement, commuting ferry passengers had to purchase ferry tickets and commuter rail passes separately.
Now, they can board the Salem ferry with either a monthly MBTA boat pass or a commuter rail pass for Zones 5-8. The commuter rail will now accept the monthly boat pass up to Zone 4 on the commuter rail.
The city's ferry operator, Boston's Best Cruises, formerly Water Transportation Alternatives, also runs ferries from Hingham and Quincy for the MBTA, a relationship that helped smooth the plan for Salem, Driscoll said.
Bill Walker, president of Boston's Best Cruises, said that prior to yesterday's announcement the Salem ferry had trouble competing with the frequency of the commuter rail service.
If ferry passengers missed the 5:10 p.m. return service to Boston, they would have to wait until 7:10 p.m. Now they can board a commuter rail train with a ferry pass and vice versa.
"I think it's excellent," he said. "It's a big advantage for North Shore people."
The mayor said that any time more people get out on the water in Salem, the better for tourism and the city, which benefits from increased visibility of its harbor and waterfront.
The city's ferry service is even more attractive because of two drop-off points: the World Trade Center in South Boston and the Longwharf Marriott.
Driscoll said the second stop in South Boston, added this year, could attract more people to the North Shore.
The mayor noted that the Salem ferry not only offers a wireless signal to commuters but also sells drinks, an amenity the commuter rail doesn't offer.
North Shore customers can purchase passes at two Salem locations: Red Lion Smoke Shop at 94 Washington St. and the Salem ferry operator at 10 Blaney St. The ferry service will continue through Oct. 30.
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