Erie Port Authority strikes new water taxi deal. When does service start?
The Port Authority on Wednesday announced a five-year contract with Galveston, Texas-based JettyLight to operate the water taxi service, starting May 23.
The company has nationwide experience regarding consulting, maritime operations management and business acquisition, according to its website. It operates commercial maritime passenger services, such as ferries, in Philadelphia, Oregon, Maryland and other locations.
Financial details of the agreement were not immediately available. Additional details about scheduling and fares will be made available on the Port Authority website in May, authority officials said.
The water taxi service, which shuttles people across Presque Isle Bay, has not operated since 2019. JettyLight recently responded to the Port Authority's request for bids from potential water taxi operators, hoping to find one who will agree to resuscitate the service.
"We are excited to work with JettyLight on this important community service for Erieites and visitors to our community," said Julie Slomski, the Port Authority's executive director.
"With their considerable expertise in maritime service and their interest in working with us to develop local partnerships, we are confident that JettyLight will grow and strengthen water taxi operations over the coming years."
Water taxi service began in 2000 as a way for tourists and residents to travel between the city and Presque Isle State Park. The service typically started each June and ran through October.
In the past the water taxi ran seven days a week, weather permitting. It usually departed on the hour from Dobbins Landing with stops at Liberty Park and Presque Isle State Park's Waterworks area before returning to Dobbins Landing.
Slomski said the Port Authority will work with JettyLight "in the upcoming weeks" to create a new schedule.
The Port Authority owns two water taxis. The authority has struggled to find a private operator for the service in recent years primarily because operators are required to hold a U.S. Coast Guard-issued captain's license.
Capt. Norman Schlosser, who retired in 2016 and held such a license, operated the service on behalf of the Port Authority for 17 years.
According to JettyLight's website, the company's owner, James Andrews, is a 20-year U.S. Coast Guard veteran who graduated from the Coast Guard Academy. He holds an active Coast Guard captain's license.
'We at JettyLight are beyond excited to help the incredible team at the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority reconstitute the Presque Isle water taxi this summer," Andrews said in a statement. "Our company was built around delivering exceptional value at the intersection of entertainment and water transportation. This new incarnation of the Presque Isle water taxi is the ideal project for us to partner with the vibrant lakefront community of Erie. We can't wait to get started.'
Each of the two Port Authority-owned water taxis that JettyLight will operate can carry 35 passengers. They are also accessible to people with disabilities and can accommodate bicycles and strollers.
The water taxi did not operate in 2020 and 2021 primarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Port Authority has solicited bids over the years for new operators, but has drawn little interest.
The Port Authority's agreement with the taxi service's last operator, Presque Isle Boat tours, expired in 2019 and the company was not interested in a renewal.
JettyLight will work with partners, including Presque Isle State Park, to promote and connect the water taxi service with other transportation services such as the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority's Presque Isle Express shuttle service to and from Presque Isle.
'One of the best things about Pennsylvania state parks is that they are free and open to all visitors," Matt Greene, the state park's operations manager.
"What our partners at the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority are doing, by bringing back the water taxi, is removing barriers to access for not only out of town tourists, but our communities in and around the downtown area.'
Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on X at @ETNflowers.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie's water taxi service across Presque Isle Bay gets a new operator
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