SALEM — The city is looking for a company to operate its high-speed commuter ferry between Salem and Boston.
Mayor Kim Driscoll said it’s not because the city is unhappy with last year’s operator, Boston Harbor Cruises. City leaders simply want to contract with a company long-term.
To do so, the city must go through a competitive bidding process. Vendor proposals for a high-speed ferry service between Salem and Boston are due Feb. 7.
“We’re looking for a longer-term operator,” Driscoll said.
Driscoll said she’d be happy to have Boston Harbor Cruises back for a longer contract. Last spring, BHC was given a one-year contract with two one-year options to renew.
The city’s request for a 2013 ferry vendor offers a contract of up to five years: a one-year contract followed by four one-year options to renew.
With the city’s waterfront growth, “we want to have a ferry secured for five years,” Driscoll said. “... We’re looking for longevity.”
Boston Harbor Cruises took over the city’s commuter ferry service last year from Water Transportation Alternatives of Quincy, which had run the ferry for six years. In August, a company spokesperson said BHC had an average of 50 passengers per trip out of Salem.
Boston Harbor Cruises could not be reached for comment.
The city’s request seeks an “experienced ferry operator” to provide daily service from Memorial Day weekend through Halloween and maintain the vessel in the offseason. The operator would also be responsible for advertising and promoting the ferry service.
Once a contract is awarded, ferry service will start “on or around” May 25, according to the city’s request.
The city asks responders to propose a schedule and fares “designed to accommodate the transportation needs of both commuters and visitors.”
City Council approval is needed to finalize any contract with a ferry vendor.
Salem’s ferry service began in 2006. The city’s 149-passenger, high-speed catamaran, the Nathaniel Bowditch, was purchased with a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, matched by city funds.
The ferry operates from the Salem Wharf on Blaney Street.
Bethany Bray can be reached at bbray@salemnews.com and on Twitter @SalemNewsBB.
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
