Mike32282 Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 I was just watching 10 NBC and saw a news report that the auction is done and Rochester has won the Fast Ferry for $32 million. Everything's all set and the ferry will start back up again in May. I just pray that this was a good move, but I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolly Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 What is this fast ferry thing? I live in buffalo and I constantly hear about it from rochesterians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 What is this fast ferry thing? I live in buffalo and I constantly hear about it from rochesterians. 255435[/snapback] I would be careful asking that question? You know you are gonna get suckered into someone's "pixy" site! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike32282 Posted February 28, 2005 Author Share Posted February 28, 2005 What is this fast ferry thing? I live in buffalo and I constantly hear about it from rochesterians. 255435[/snapback] It's a Ferry that the city of Rochester now owns and wants to try to make money out of it or at least bring tourists here. It goes from Rochester to Toronto and Toronto to Rochester. The port is in Charlotte where the Ferry Terminal is. Check it out here.... http://www.portofrochester.com/FastFerry.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Terrible. The city is poorly run and can't provide the services required. The fast ferry failed for alot of reasons and adding a bloated bureaucracy to manage it isn't likely to make it work better. Reality check: Canadiens don't want to visit Rochester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike32282 Posted February 28, 2005 Author Share Posted February 28, 2005 If you watch this video...you will see that it's basically like a mini cruise ship that you can ride while you relax on the way to Toronto. http://www.portofrochester.com/SPIRIT%20OF%20ONTARIO002.wmv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike32282 Posted February 28, 2005 Author Share Posted February 28, 2005 Terrible. The city is poorly run and can't provide the services required. The fast ferry failed for alot of reasons and adding a bloated bureaucracy to manage it isn't likely to make it work better. Reality check: Canadiens don't want to visit Rochester. 255452[/snapback] If they wanted to do it, fine. But what would have made more sense would be 2 smaller ships for the same price. $32 million is too much for a ship and that boat is too damn big for the route it uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark VI Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Fast Ferry? Which one ? Is this about Rochesters' bustling flame population ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Terrible. The city is poorly run and can't provide the services required. The fast ferry failed for alot of reasons and adding a bloated bureaucracy to manage it isn't likely to make it work better. Reality check: Canadiens don't want to visit Rochester. 255452[/snapback] Off the beat places like Wilson Harbor work better for sneaking boat loads of "American smokes" back into the Dominion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike32282 Posted February 28, 2005 Author Share Posted February 28, 2005 Fast Ferry? Which one ? Is this about Rochesters' bustling flame population ? 255466[/snapback] There are a lot of flamers here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 If they wanted to do it, fine. But what would have made more sense would be 2 smaller ships for the same price. $32 million is too much for a ship and that boat is too damn big for the route it uses. 255460[/snapback] Sorry, but government is never going to succeed in business - especially WNY government. The professionals failed at fast ferry because the fundamentals just aren't there. Where TF did Rochester get $32,000,000.00 to spend anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Originally, some Rochester politicians pushed for the ferry, even though there wasn't a "need" for it. Instead, they pushed it as a "monument to themselves" and rode it roughshod through any opposition. In fact, they were so determined to get the ferry into service that they did not wait to get Customs approval for it (in order to carry commercial trucks, they would have to set up customs operations at each end). However, once service was started,the Customs Service did not give their approval to the setup. As a result, the ferry operators were stuck with passengers and passenger vehicles only, and they lose money by not being able to carry commercial trucks. So they originally spent $40 million of taxpayers money to set up a ferry service that doesn't make money. And the politicians have said that they need an additional $20 million to $40 million in taxpayer money to get the service up and running. Consequently, the politicians will spend $60 million and $80 million for something that has no hope to recouping its costs. Translation: A typical political / pork barrel government operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Buffalo needs a fast ferry. How the hell else will they compete with Rochester?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30dive Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 It will never work as it is. Sure folks in Rochester would love to take a ferry over to Toronto......But how many times a year, once? The novelty wears off very "fast". Folks in Canada, to Rochester? Not a big draw there. Rochester is a nice place to raise a family, but not even in the top 50 places a family from Toronto is considering taking the family for a long weekend. Now put a casino on that bad boy and watch that $32million dollar investment return on some of that money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike32282 Posted February 28, 2005 Author Share Posted February 28, 2005 Sorry, but government is never going to succeed in business - especially WNY government. The professionals failed at fast ferry because the fundamentals just aren't there. Where TF did Rochester get $32,000,000.00 to spend anyway? 255478[/snapback] The same company that loaned the money to CATS is loaning $36 million to Rochester. $32 for the ferry, $4 million to get everything going. This company is in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike32282 Posted February 28, 2005 Author Share Posted February 28, 2005 It will never work as it is. Sure folks in Rochester would love to take a ferry over to Toronto......But how many times a year, once? The novelty wears off very "fast". Folks in Canada, to Rochester? Not a big draw there. Rochester is a nice place to raise a family, but not even in the top 50 places a family from Toronto is considering taking the family for a long weekend. Now put a casino on that bad boy and watch that $32million dollar investment return on some of that money. 255525[/snapback] I totally agree. I still say that Rochester's dumbest move was passing on the Downtown Casino. That Casino at the old Midtown Plaza would have been a great way to bring money and people back to downtown and might have helped lure some people from the ferry. I would love to see NY give Rochester the right to put Video Lottery Terminals on the fast ferry. It would be a great money maker, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. Maybe next year? Look at how good the VLT's are doing in the racino's at Fingerlakes and other race tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 I totally agree. I still say that Rochester's dumbest move was passing on the Downtown Casino. That Casino at the old Midtown Plaza would have been a great way to bring money and people back to downtown and might have helped lure some people from the ferry. I would love to see NY give Rochester the right to put Video Lottery Terminals on the fast ferry. It would be a great money maker, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. Maybe next year? Look at how good the VLT's are doing in the racino's at Fingerlakes and other race tracks. 255548[/snapback] Bringing in casinos often just hastens a city's decline IMO. Besides the social costs, there is just diminishing returns on them nowadays. There are just too many other opportunities to gamble elsewhere that I doubt a casino would bring in many tourists. So you basically just attract the people from the Rochester area, essentially praying on your own citizens. Now if more casinos in this state would mean that we got rid of the lottery I would be all for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorCal Aaron Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Bringing in casinos often just hastens a city's decline IMO. 255555[/snapback] See Falls, Niagara. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kegtapr Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Johnsons Folly sails again. :I starred in Brokeback Mountain: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachChuckDickerson Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 The best part is every person who rides the Ferry now gets a complimentary bottle of snake oil. Its wonderful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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