The first of many seven minute trips on a ferry from Lewis Mall Dock in East Boston to South Boston’s Fan Pier by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) began Monday.
Over the summer MCCA Director of Transportation Shannon McDermott said the MCAA, who currently runs ferry service from the North End to Southie, expanded upon ferry service studies and gaps that have been published by organizations like Boston Harbor Now and wanted to provide a different mode of transportation for Eastie and North Shore commuters.
McDermott said Boston Harbor Now came out with a study and proposed a circulator route in the harbor with stops in Eastie so the MCAA jumped in after seeing a need in Eastie. With the MCAA already running a ferry service from the North End to the Seaport, expanding to Eastie was a no brainer.
However, McDermott said the Eastie to Southie service is a separate route but as the MCAA continues to activate the waterway they hope to be able to continue adding dock locations around the harbor.
The Eastie/Southie Ferry runs Monday through Friday from 6:30 am to 10 am and then from 3 pm to 7 pm every half hour. The trip takes roughly seven minutes and costs $5 one way.
“This additional mode of transportation is the result of a collaboration between state and city government,” said Councilor Lydia Edwards. “Thank you State Rep. Adrian Madaro for your partnership and thank you as well to my predecessor, the Honorable Diane Modica (former City Councilor), who has been advocating for ferry service for many years.”
Madaro has been instrumental in bringing the new ferry to Eastie and has advocated for more affordable modes of transportation for low-income workers that use public transportation daily.