Ferry to continue service through end of the year
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The Associated Press - Published: November 15, 2009
MONTPELIER — The Ticonderoga Ferry across Lake Champlain will provide service through December, weather permitting, under an agreement reached by Vermont and New York transportation officials.
The ferry from Shoreham to Ticonderoga, N.Y., has been a crucial link for many commuters since the abrupt closure of the Champlain Bridge a few weeks ago because of its deterioration.
The deal announced Saturday keeps the ferry open and running seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. free of charge for passengers.
The ferry service normally shuts down in the fall, but the company will install winterizing equipment so it can operate at least until the lake freezes.
In the meantime, snow and ice conditions could cause the operator to cancel or curtail service on short notice for either safety or mechanical reasons.
Ridership on the ferry fluctuates around 750 to 800 cars a day, and with carpooling it could easily be carrying more than 1,000 people daily, said a spokesman for the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
The states also are finalizing plans for a charter bus service from the Ticonderoga area to take people across the lake on the ferry between Essex, N.Y., and Charlotte.
The bus service will assure a reliable all-weather method of crossing the lake once winter weather sets in, the Agency of Transportation spokesman said.
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