Posted on 01/16/2006 8:08:06 PM PST by neverdem
ROCHESTER, Jan. 13 - Last month, Anthony Alleyne arrived at the Lake Ontario shore hoping to catch a high-speed ferry to Toronto, the last trip of the season. He thought he had more than enough time, but as soon as he walked into the terminal, he saw, to his dismay, the ferry pulling away without him.
Mr. Alleyne, 52, wasn't mistaken about the time; the ferry did leave a few minutes ahead of schedule. "I wanted to catch that ferry," he said. "It was the last one. It's sad."
Many Rochesterians now feel the same. On Tuesday, they learned that the popular but unprofitable ferry service would cease. Rochester's new mayor, Robert J. Duffy, declined to request an additional $11.5 million in financing for the 2006 season, saying it would be a poor investment given the city's continuing struggles with problems like joblessness and violent crime.
"There is not one iota of doubt it's the right decision," Mr. Duffy said Friday. "It was years away from breaking even."
Rochester embarked on the ferry project in hopes of becoming an international tourist destination and invigorating its economy. After years of negotiations, two entrepreneurs brought a gleaming $42 million catamaran to a new terminal at Rochester's lakefront in 2004. The ferry, which crossed Lake Ontario to Toronto in two and a half hours, was popular with local residents, who accounted for the majority of ticket sales. Many would even come to the shore just to watch it pull out.
The venture was fraught with problems from the beginning, though. The ferry came by sea from Australia, where it was built, but once it was in New York City, it banged into a dock. Later, its engines malfunctioned. The mishaps meant costly repairs and interrupted service.
The ferry service operated just the one...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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