Lynn to Boston Ferry Gets Underway Beginning May 19: Three Departures and Three Return Trips Daily for Commuters

After three, separate construction phases, $7.65 million in state, federal and local funding and several years of construction and planning, the Lynn to Boston commuter ferry will finally get underway beginning on Monday, May 19, with three total departures to Boston and three return trips to Lynn.

The inaugural service will run weekdays through September 12, with one way fares of $7 per passenger for adults and $3.50 per passenger for children and seniors. The MBTA Zone Commuter Pass will also be accepted.

But service for the first week will be free, as the city and the ferry operator look to attract new riders.

The ferry will depart and land from the new ferry pier and associated facility at the end of the Blossom Street extension, on the north-bound side of the Lynnway.

“A lot of people didn’t think this would happen,” noted James Cowdell, executive director of the Lynn Economic Development and Industrial Corporation.

EDIC took this project on several years ago, with the help from the Seaport Advisory Council, grants from the federal government and investment from EDIC, the vision of providing a water borne transportation alternative for Lynn commuters is finally going to be realized.

“We think that people will find that this is a very appealing alternative to driving in the city,” said Cowdell. “We’re very excited to get this service up and running.”

In order to get to the point where this service was even possible, Lynn and EDIC had to have the support and assistance of several state and federal agencies, most notably, the Seaport Advisory Council, which provided $5 million in funding over the past few years to remake the Blossom Street extension, a previously under-utilized boat ramp and parking lot, into a facility capable of serving as a working ferry terminal with parking and an accessible pier and docking system.

The phased project also received $2 million in federal grants and $650,000 from the EDIC.

State Senator Thomas McGee of Lynn, who chairs the legislature’s Transportation Committee, noted in remarks that the new ferry service is the result of a lot of hard work from a lot of different people and agencies.

“Thanks to the hard work of the Lynn delegation, local officials, the Patrick Administration and the Seaport Advisory Council, the Lynn commuter ferry is now a reality,” said Senator McGee. “This ferry system creates a true multimodal transportation system in the city.”

“Everyone knows how difficult it is to drive into the city in the morning and drive home at night,” said Cowdell. “The ferry will be a convenient, cost-effective and efficient option that we hope people will take advantage of.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.