Jeffersonville’s water taxi ready to set sail

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July 29, 2010

River transport to and from Louisville arena expected to be in operation by November

By BRADEN LAMMERS Braden.Lammers@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Thu Jul 29, 2010, 10:58 PM EDT

JEFFERSONVILLE — The former docking site for the Star of Jeffersonville will soon have a new purpose.

A river taxi, the Spirit of Jefferson, will launch from the location near the Interstate 65 bridge and carry passengers across the Ohio River to the new KFC Yum! Center during University of Louisville home basketball games.

“Everybody thinks it’s a very good idea and it’ll be one way to deal with the traffic going into Louisville,” said Jeffersonville Mayor Tom Galligan. “It’ll be a different way of doing things. This will be kind of an adventure and [an] experience versus just driving over.”

The ferry is expected to be in operation by the time U of L is set to play its first home game against Indiana’s Butler University Bulldogs on Nov. 12. Some hurdles still have to be cleared before the water taxi from the Jeffersonville riverfront to Louisville’s Fourth Street Wharf is cleared to launch.

“We have a spot here and we have to make sure the [U.S. Army] Corps of Engineers is OK [with the site] and we’re good to go,” Galligan said.

The spot is the same site where the Star of Jeffersonville used to dock. There is still a walkway leading down to the water where the Star’s mooring barge sat partially submerged on the banks of the Ohio River for about five months before it was removed by the city. Who will pay for the operations of the Spirit of Jefferson is another detail that is yet to be worked out.

“We’re waiting on a contract,” Galligan said. “What we’re trying to do is work in conjunction with Louisville instead of working against them.”

The sentiment of inclusion was echoed by Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson during a tour of the KFC Yum! Center on Thursday morning.

“We are hopeful to make it as easily accessible to our friends in Southern Indiana to be able to come to this venue for concerts and ball games as we can,” he said.

In addition to the cross-river cities, several other entities may be involved with funding the river transport. Deals are still being sought with businesses and hotels located along Jeffersonville’s restaurant row to possibly discount tickets on the river ferry for people dining at one of the restaurants or staying at one of the nearby hotels.

“We’re working how we’re going to structure that,” Galligan said. “This needs to be a joint venture with a lot of people. There’s a lot of players in this thing that are going to make it work.”

Patrick Gregory, general manager of the Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel, in Jeffersonville, said he has already committed to purchase 10 ferry passes for each home game.

“Right now, we are working on an initial agreement and then depending on how the community responds [we’ll adjust],” he said.

The initial price has been set at $15 per person for a round trip. The boat can hold up to 245 passengers per trip and takes about 10 to 15 minutes to make the journey from one bank to the other.

To break even, it will need to carry 267 people across the river per event, Galligan said.

It was unknown whether or not the same arrangement will be in place for special events like concerts, and other details are still being worked out, partially because the full schedule of events for the arena — including U of L’s full home basketball schedule — has not been released.

Even if all of the possible supporters of the river taxi don’t commit to funding a portion of the operational costs, Galligan assured the boat will be running come November.

“We’re going to do it. It’s just a matter of how we’re going to do it,” he said.

Another access point for people to get from Southern Indiana to Louisville that will not be complete by the time the arena hosts its first basketball game is the completion of the Big Four Bridge. It’s Louisville entry and exit is east of the downtown arena and I-65/Kennedy Bridge.

Galligan said he expects that in late-October or early-November, completed plans for the pedestrian ramp will be handed over to the city. While funding sources are still being pursued, the timeline for the ramp to be complete and for the bridge to open will be about two years.

“I think both of these things compliment both sides of the river, and I think together they can help alleviate some of the traffic problems we’re going to have [during] the ball games and also be a great experience,” he said.

Pedestrian traffic also is allowed on the Clark Memorial Bridge. It ends at Second Street in Louisville at the east entrance to the arena.