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399 Pax Traditional Passenger-Only Ferry Case Study (Public Entity)

June 25, 2013

Introduction 

The ferry was constructed in 2005 and is certified to carry 399 passengers. The vessel’s 

service speed is approximately 10 knots. The ferry has three decks. The main deck and 

second deck are used by passengers, and the third deck (which is only open to crew 

members) contains the pilot house. No passenger doors on this vessel are required by the 

US Coast Guard to have coamings (raised door sills).

 Main Deck – The main deck is about 110 feet long and 32 feet wide (approximately

2993 square feet) and is provided with five entry points1. Over three quarters of the 

deck is enclosed, with the stern area containing an exterior space shaded by the 

second deck. At the stern, three entry points are provided. One each side of the 

stern area, each consisting of one double-leaf crew-operated entry gate, and a third 

directly at the stern consisting of a portion of the bulwark that is removable by crew 

for loading and unloading. From the stern area, an elevator and open stair connect 

the second deck, and a double-leaf door connects the enclosed main deck cabin. In 

the cabin, two uni-sex toilet rooms are provided. One is located between the 

elevator shaft and starboard side of the vessel and the second is near the forward 

end (portside) of the cabin. In line with the forward toilet room, an interior stair 

(with a door at the top) connects the second deck. Between the toilet rooms, 

approximately six rows of bench seating (running fore/aft) are provided for 130 

passengers. Forward of the seating area, two entry points are provided each having 

one single leaf crew-operated sliding door (one door on each side of the cabin). At 

the forward end of the cabin, a separate crew-only freight storage space is located.

Figure 1. Main Deck – Original Design

 

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 An entry point is where passengers embark or disembark a vessel. Not every entry point is used at each 

stop on the ferry’s route.
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 Second Deck - The second deck is about 107 feet long and 28 feet wide 

(approximately 2613 square feet) and contains four entry points. At the bow, an 

open area for freight and bike storage and a passenger seating area with 50 fixed 

seats is provided. On each side of the freight storage area, an entry point consisting 

of one double-leaf crew-operated entry gate is provided. Aft of the storage area, the 

second deck contains an enclosed cabin. The cabin has an entry door on the 

portside at the forward end and another at the rear. Within the cabin, behind a door 

a stair connects the main deck, and behind another door a stair (crew only) connects 

the third deck. A uni-sex toilet room is included forward to the port side of the 

cabin. Three tables with seating for 12 passengers and two benches for 12 other 

passengers are provided. Along the starboard exterior side of the cabin, a bench 

provides seating for 21 passengers and at least 46 inches of clearance is provided 

between the seats and the starboard side guard rail. On the port side of the cabin, 

the exterior deck area is 36 inches wide but reduces down to 27 inches when 

passing the forward mooring chock. Aft of the cabin, a stair which is open to the 

weather (although shaded) connects the main deck (and crew-only third deck). In 

this area of the stair, the elevator is accessed and bench seating for 47 passengers is 

provided. Except for the bow seating area, all other exterior seating areas are 

shaded by the third deck. At the stern, an additional deck storage area is set aside 

for freight and bikes.

Figure 2. Second Deck – Original Design

Methodology

A representative of the Access Board reviewed the original designs of the vessel with a 

representative2of the ferry to identify passenger features that would not meet the 2006 draft 

passenger vessel accessibility guidelines3. The ferry representative proposed new designs for 

 

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 Although the report notes decisions made by the ferry representative, it should be noted that the Access 

Board hired a consultant (acceptable to the ferry representative) to provide most impact information 

(including cost estimates) which was used by the ferry representative in the case study decision making 

process.

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 The 2006 draft guidelines, as amended by Board action at the 2007 and April 2008 meetings. 
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the passenger features that would meet the draft guidelines and estimated how much the new 

designs would add to a new vessel’s construction cost. It is not possible to increase the 

“footprint” of the vessel (i.e. to add length or beam to the existing design) because of berthing 

and freeboard limitations of the ferry owners’ facilities. Therefore, significant changes to 

arrangements in the vessel would result in a loss of passenger seating versus lengthening or 

widening of the vessel to accommodate the changes while maintaining seating capacity. 

The Access Board has updated the study to represent the requirements in the proposed 

passenger vessel accessibility guidelines. The 2006 costs recorded in the 2008 draft of the 

study (available on the Board’s website) that applied to the proposed guidelines were 

multiplied by 1.19484to produce 2011 values. In most places where a range of costs were 

provided in the 2008 draft, the costs were averaged and rounded. The updates have not been 

reviewed by the ferry representative.

The ferry representative estimated that it would cost approximately $5 million in 2006 dollars 

to construct a similar vessel (based on the average 2005 bids), updated to $5.97 million in 2011

dollars. The ferry representative estimated that the new designs would add $133,500 to the 

vessel’s (updated) construction costs, or an increase of approximately 2.2 percent. About 80

percent of this increase is due to the addition of an automatic sprinkler system to avoid having 

to provide protected waiting areas at the top and bottom of the internal stair. Compliance with 

the proposed guidelines also resulted in the loss of 10 fixed seats.

Actions taken on features in the original vessel designs to create new designs meeting the draft 

guidelines for a new vessel are discussed below, as updated to reflect the requirements of the 

proposed guidelines. The case study sought to identify actions that 1) have significant impacts, 

2) incurred additional costs but did not have significant impacts, or 3) have other outcomes 

which should be noted. 

An action is identified as having a significant impact where the redesign of the feature would 

add more than 0.5 percent to vessel’s construction costs; would substantially reduce the 

vessel’s usable space or necessitate an increase in the vessel’s size; or would present major 

operational issues. An action is identified as incurring an additional cost but not having a 

significant impact where a specific cost can be attributed to the redesign of a feature but it does 

not meet the criteria for a significant impact. 

Actions That Have Significant Impacts

1. Accessible Means of Escape

Stairs - The two stairs have a tread depth and riser height which equates a slope of less than 32 

degrees. Each stair functions as part of a means of escape (MOE) required by the US Coast 

Guard (USCG) from the second deck to the main deck; where the two areas of refuge are 

located (one at the stern and the other between the two forward entry points). In addition, 

under the formal evacuation plan, one option to evacuate the vessel is to go to the nearest ferry

terminal pier and disembark the passengers. If tidal conditions are low, passengers would be 

 

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 1.194773214 and results have been rounded.
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directed to the second deck for disembarkation. Therefore, the two MOE run in both 

directions, down and up. The proposed guidelines require that two accessible means of escape 

(AMOE) connect these two decks and set up for escape travel in both directions to provide a 

substantially equivalent level of protection from hazards as that provided by the MOE. 

V207.1.

The proposed guidelines permit stairs, and crew-operated elevators and platform lifts, to be 

components in an AMOE and expect they be provided with protected waiting areas5(PWA) 

unless open to the weather. Advisory V207.1. However, the AMOE provisions establish no 

technical requirements for stairs, and no other provisions address non-pool stairs, except the 

protruding object requirements for passenger circulation paths (see V204).

After AMOE - The ferry representative decided to use the stern MOE stair in the new designs 

as a component in the after AMOE, instead of the vessel’s elevator. Because the stair is open 

to the weather, the proposed guidelines have no impact on the stern stair in the new designs.

Forward AMOE - The ferry representative decided to use the cabin stair which is part of a 

MOE to be also part of the forward AMOE. Because the stair is not open to the weather, 

PWAs are expected at the top and bottom in the new designs for the stair to be a component in 

the forward AMOE and provide a substantially equivalent level of protection from hazards as

required for the MOE. The proposed guidelines permit where passenger vessels are protected 

by an automatic sprinkler system, PWAs are not expected. V207.1 and Advisory V207.1. The 

ferry representative proposed in the new designs to add an automatic sprinkler system 

complying with NFPA 13. This action is estimated to increase the cost of the new vessel by

$107,500

The ferry representative did look at the option to provide PWAs. To provide such features in 

the new designs, the original designs would have required an almost-complete redesign, 

changing heads, means of escape and stairs to incorporate large, protected landing areas at the 

top and bottom of the cabin stairwell which would function as PWAs. While the construction 

cost of the vessel would not be impacted significantly, $149,300 to $179,200 of design 

engineering fees would be incurred, and it is estimated that at least 10 fixed passenger seats 

would be lost. 

Portside Second Deck Mooring Chock - On the second deck, the only deck level passenger 

circulation path (not located between seating rows) which is less than 36 inches wide is a 27 

inch wide point at the portside forward edge of the cabin and the mooring chock. As no USCG 

 

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Per Advisory V207.1, a protected waiting area is an area protected from fire and smoke where persons with 

disabilities can wait at AMOE components that need crew assistance to use, such as stairs and crew operated 

elevators. A protected waiting area should be sized to accommodate at least one clear deck space (see V305) for 

each occupant to be served. Building codes typically require one such space per 200 occupants based on the 

occupant load of all accessible spaces to be served by the protected area. The clear deck spaces should not 

reduce the required width of any means of escape traveling through the area. Where more than two clear deck 

spaces are provided at a single location, each space should be accessible without necessitating travel through 

more than one adjoining clear deck space. Protected areas should be equipped with an audible and visible twoway communication system that connects the bridge of the vessel or other space where emergency actions are 

directed.
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required MOE runs pass this chock, no AMOE is required to run pass the chock and no change 

is required in the new designs.

Actions That Incur Additional Costs But Do Not Have Significant 

Impacts

2. Toilet Rooms

Two uni-sex toilet rooms are provided on the main deck, and one uni-sex toilet room is 

provided on the second deck. The main deck toilet room by the elevator has a lavatory which 

projects into the clearance required by the water closet. The proposed guidelines require all 

three toilet rooms to be accessible. V213.2. The guidelines prohibit lavatories from projecting 

into water closet clearances. V604.3.2. The ferry representative proposed in the new designs 

to recess the lavatory fixture into the aft bulkhead of the toilet room by the elevator to avoid 

overlap of the water closet clearance. This action which is principally engineering design work 

is estimated to increase the cost of the new vessel by $1,800. 

3. Life Jacket Storage

The only passenger used storage facilities on the vessel are the life jacket storage facilities 

which are only located on the main deck. One storage facility consists of a rack with canvas 

drapes secured by hooks located at the forward end of the main deck cabin, another is located 

in a cabinet under the interior stair in the cabin, and the third is located at the exterior stern area 

of the main deck in a rack with canvas drapes secured by hooks. The proposed guidelines 

require that in each space where storage facilities are provided for passenger use (including 

those used only in emergencies), at least one of each type must be accessible. V225.2. 

To meet the requirement, the ferry representative proposed in the new designs to modify the 

hook mechanism on the two rack storage facilities to make them accessible. This action is 

estimated to increase the cost of the new vessel by $1,200.

4. Assistive Listening System

The vessel at times uses the public address system to provide tour boat services to its 

passengers on both the main and second decks. The proposed guidelines require where 

amplified communication is provided which is integral to the use of the assembly seating areas 

of the vessel, a permanently installed assistive listening system (ALS) must be provided. 

V219.2.1. The number of receivers is based on the seating capacity of the vessel, not the 

number of fixed seats. V219.3. As the operator does not provide portable seats and the 

number of fixed seats (272) is less than the number of passengers the vessel is permitted to 

carry (399), the number of receivers is based on the maximum number of passengers permitted 

to be carried. Therefore, based on 399, the proposed guidelines require that the ALS have at 
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least 16 receivers of which at least four must be hearing-aid compatible and is estimated to 

increase the cost6of the new vessel by $7,500.

5. Main Deck Forward Port/Starboard ExteriorDoors

The main deck cabin has a ceiling height of 84 inches. The stern door to the cabin has a 

vertical clearance of 79.5 inches, and the two forward side doors have vertical clearances of 81 

inches. Because sometimes the ship’s gangway must run through one of the two forward cabin 

doors to connect the pier, the vertical clearance is reduced by four inches, leaving a clearance 

of 77 inches when the gangway projecting through the doors is level. Additional inches are 

lost when the gangway has a slope. 

The proposed guidelines require that all circulation paths used by passengers meet protruding 

object requirements. V204. The guidelines require these circulations paths to have a head 

clearance of at least 80 inches, but allows 78 inches at doors with stops. V307.4 Exception 1. 

For purposes of the case study, it was assumed a gangway door with a clearance of 85 inches7

will provide the minimum head clearance when a sloped gangway projects through the door. 

To increase the height at the door openings, the ceiling was proposed to be raised in the new 

designs in the area of the doors. The ceiling would then be flared into the existing height 

further inboard, and a heater with blower recessed into the ceiling would need to be relocated 

inboard, as well. There would be no associated increase in construction costs, but there would 

be an additional $3,600 in design cost to make the change. There would be no impact on 

seating or the deck surface on the second deck due to this change.

Other Outcomes

6. Transportation Seats

The vessel has 272 fixed seats, with 130 provided in the main deck cabin and 142 provided on 

the second deck. The 142 seats on the second deck are dispersed with 50 located in a forward 

exterior seating area, 24 inside the cabin (of which 12 are at three tables), 21 exterior along the 

starboard side of the cabin, and 47 located aft near the elevator and stair. No designated 

wheelchair spaces are provided in the vessel.

The seating areas on this ferry would be classified by the proposed guidelines as transportation 

seating areas. V106.5 and V221.1 Exception. As a total of 272 fixed seats are provided in this 

ferry (which includes 12 at tables), the guidelines require five wheelchair spaces be dispersed 

 

6 The 2008 draft of the study had a 2006 cost shown as $7,600 to $8,600. Based on new information for assessing 

assistive listening system (ALS) costs, the cost was revised. As the original vessel functions as a tour vessel, most 

passenger areas would be classified as assembly areas. Therefore, the number of receivers, per V219.3, would be 

determined by the passenger capacity of the vessel which is 399. The ALS’s estimated cost is $7,500; it requires 

16 quality receivers with headseats/neckloops ($4,500), one FM transmitter with related support material 

($1,400), and engineering, installation, and other expenses ($1,600). Maintenance of the system is estimated to be 

less than $120 per year.

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 The ferry representative noted that even with an 85 inch opening, sometimes a necessarily steep gangway will 

reduce the clearance to less than 80 inches at the sliding doors. However, the representative believes 85 inches 

will address most situations.
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in the seating areas on the main deck and second deck, and one wheelchair space be located at 

a table. V222.3.3. Based on the original seating layout, the inclusion of five wheelchair 

spaces will result in a loss of nine fixed seats as shown in the “WcS Outcome” row of the table 

below. The “New Designs” row shows what is proposed for the new designs and would result 

in the loss of 10 fixed seats when compared to the original designs. The changes regarding the 

wheelchair spaces are estimated to increase the cost of the new vessel by approximately

$11,900, primarily design engineering costs.

Number of Fixed Seats (FS) and Wheelchair Spaces (WcS)

Seating 

Area

Main 

Deck 

Cabin

2

nd Deck 

Bow 

Exterior

2

nd Deck Cabin 2nd Deck 

Cabin 

Side 

Exterior

2

nd Deck 

Aft 

Exterior

Total

Original 

Layout

130 FS 

(no tables)

50 FS 24 FS 

(12 at 3 tables)

21 FS 47 FS 272 FS

3 tables

WcS 

Outcome

-2 FS

+1 WcS

-3 FS

+1 WcS

-1 FS at 1 table

+1 WcS

-2 FS

+1 WcS

-2 FS

+1 WcS

-10 FS

+5 WcS

New 

Designs

128 FS

1 WcS

47 FS

1 WcS

23 FS

(7 at 2 tables)

1 WcS at table

19 FS

1 WcS

45 FS

1 WcS

262 FS

5 WcS

7. Interior Accessible Route

An internal stair provides passenger circulation between the main deck cabin and the second 

deck cabin. An onboard accessible route also connects these two internal spaces, but has an 

exterior component which connects the elevator. The proposed guidelines permit in vessels 

where the largest deck is less than 3,000 square feet (as in this ferry) that an accessible route 

may run exteriorly even though an internal circulation path connects two internal spaces8. 

V206.3 Exception.

8. Electrical Power, Fuel Consumption, and Vessel Stability Impacts

As the footprint of the vessel remains essentially constant, and because the vessel was designed 

with sufficient margins, the ferry representative estimated the proposed changes to meet the 

proposed guidelines would have no impact on the electrical power needs, stability, or fuel 

consumption of the new designed vessel.

 

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 If an internal accessible route had been required to connect the two cabins, the ferry representative would have 

kept the elevator external (for the safer capability to move freight between decks) and added a platform lift to 

connect the two cabins. The installation of a lift would add approximately $47,800 to the cost of a new vessel, 

plus include an additional design related cost of $35,800 - $41,800 which would have increased the cost to 

construct the new vessel by $83,600 to $89,600. The elevator has a dimension of about 76 inches in width 

(between handrails) and about 82 inches in depth with a door on the 76 inch side providing a clear opening width 

of 54 inches. 
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Summary

The ferry representative estimated that it would cost approximately $5 million in 2006 dollars 

to construct a similar vessel (based on the average 2005 bids), updated to $5.97 million in 2011 

dollars. The ferry representative estimated that the new designs would add $133,500 to the 

vessel’s (updated) construction costs, or an increase of approximately 2.2 percent. About 80

percent of this increase is due to the addition of an automatic sprinkler system to avoid 

providing protected waiting areas at the top and bottom of the internal cabin stair. Compliance 

with the proposed guidelines also resulted in the loss of 10 fixed seats. The costs are 

summarized below.

399 Passenger Traditional Ferry 2006 Estimate 2011 Estimate

(rounded/average)

Construction Cost (original vessel) $5M $5.97M

Adding Automatic Sprinkler System 80,000 - 100,000 107,500

Seating Changes 10,000 11,900

Assistive Listening System revised 7,500

Modifications to Forward Main Deck Doors 3,000 3,600

Modifications to Recess Toilet Room Lavatory 1,500 1,800

Adding Accessible Hardware at Two LifeJacket Racks1,000 1,200

Total (% increase) $103,100 - $124,100 

(2% - 2.5%)

$133,500

(2.2%)

Note: Unable to get ownership to review and comment on the 2008 draft report.