1 

### 20 Car **Vehicle Ferry Case Study** 
**- Private Entity** 

**June 25, 2013** 

### Introduction

The ferry was construct ed in 200 3 and carries about 18 to 20 vehicle s 1 and is certified to carry 1 50 passengers. It was designed to replace an older vessel which provide d winter service s during icy

conditions. The vessel’s service speed is approximately 8.5 knots. The ferry has two passenger decks , with the main deck serving as the entry deck (which also has a mezzanine )

.

 Main Deck

– The main deck is a bout 104 feet long and 37 feet wide ( approximately 3,900 square feet)

. Pedestrians and vehicles enter the ferry from either end of the main deck via two gangway s 2 depending on which vessel end is moored to the terminal

. There are three full lanes for vehicles and a partial lane near the starboard side bow which hold s around two vehicles

. On the starboard side, a long narrow enclosed cabin contains 18 fixed seats and one wheelchair space. In addition, after the narrow cabin, another space holds a single user toilet room which is accessed b y an exterior door facing the vehicle lanes

. A covered stair connects the main deck mezzanine at the bow and an uncovered stair connects it at the stern.

**Figure 1. Main Deck**

**– Original Design** 

 M ain Deck M ezzanine Leve l

- The main deck mezzanine is a bout 66 feet long and 10 feet wide ( approximately 660 square feet) . The level has an enclosed cabin which contains a small single user toilet room and fixed seating area with 17 seats and another 10 seats at three tables. At each end of the mezzanine level , an uncovered exterior stair connects the upper deck (second deck)

.
1 The 20 vehicle capacity is based on a car length of 15 feet and light (pick

- up ) truck length of 18 feet. Vehicles carried on the ferry range in size from less than 12 feet to 90 feet. 2 Gangway is defined in V106.5 as a variable

- sloped pedestrian walkway which consists of one or more runs.2 **Figure 2**  **. M**  **ezzanine Level** 

**– Original Design** 

 Upper Deck

– The (second) upper deck is a bout 43 feet long and 3 5 feet wide ( approximately

1500 square feet) and is located above the after half of the main deck

. Exterior fixed passenger seating for 120 is provided on this deck . A raised pilot house is located in the forward

- center part of the deck and is onl y open to crew members

. No covered passenger space is provided on the deck . On the starboard side, two uncovered stairs connect the main deck mezzanine.

**Figure 3**  **. (**  **Second )**  **Upper Deck** 

**– Original Design** 3 

### M **ethodology** A repr esentative of the Access Board reviewed the original designs of the vessel with a representative 3 of the ferry to identify

passenger features that would not meet the 2006 draft passenger vessel accessibility guidelines 4 . The ferry

representative proposed new designs for the passenger features that would meet the draft guidelines and estimated how much the new design s would add to a new vessel’s construction cost. 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

1.19 48 5 to produce 2011 values. The ferry representative has not re viewed the updates. Option 1

- The ferry representative estimated it would cost approximately $3.75 million to $4 million to construct the ferry in 2006 , updated to about $4.48 million to 4.78 million in 2011 dollars (average $4.63 million) . The ferry re presentative estimated that the proposed new designs to meet the provisions used in the study (generally , the same as in the proposed guidelines) would add about $ 3 8,000 to the vessel’s (updated) construction costs, less than a 1 percent increase in cost

. The new designs also would result in the los s of the mezzanine toilet room and one vehicle parking space, and are estimated to cause a loss of $ 51 ,000 to $ 86 ,000 in annual revenue . The costs are summarized below. Option 2

- Although most of the case stu dy focuses on option 1, because of the revenue loss, in the updated case study , option 2 was added to record in one place the impacts identified where the vessel is lengthened to restore the loss vehicle space and therefore not trigger the revenue loss. A 16 foot lengthen ing would increase the cost to construct the new vessel to the new designs recorded in option 1 by $270,000, a 6. 7 % total increase. This lengthening would not have an impact on vessel stability and fuel consumption would be minimal (estim ated to be less than 700 gallons annually). The ferry representative did not choose this option, as discussed in the case study

. Actions taken on features in the original vessel design s to create new design s 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 hav e significant impacts , or 3) have other outcome s 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

3 Although the report records 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 pr ocess. 4 2006 draft guidelines, as amended by Board action at the 2007 and April 2008 meetings. 5 1.194773214 and results have been rounded.4

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 co st 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**  **Impact s**  **1. Vehicle Parking**  The ferry is designed to carry

18 to 20 vehicles. Most of the fourth lane (starboard side) is occupied b y the main deck structure which includes the se ating cabin, two stairs, engine room access space, and toilet room , but has about 4 1 feet at the bow which is open for about two subcompact vehicle s to park. To meet the requirements of the proposed guidelines (discussed below in more detail ), the structure on the fourth lane increased in length by about 15 feet ( from about 56 to 71 feet 6 ), thereb y, reducing the length of the parking space at the bow from 4 1 feet to about 26 feet ( 26 feet from bow to bottom of bow stair)

. This reduction cause d the loss of about one vehicle parking space. Although some space is needed at the bottom of the bow stair, a car could overlap the stair landing when maneuvering into position within the 26 foot long space. The ferry representative indicated that when the vessel i s 100% full, the odds are a small er car would alway s be available to more easil y maneuver into the fourth lane. When the vessel is not 100% full, the fourth lane will probabl y be left unoccupied. Therefore, with the increase in the length of the main deck fourth lane structure, only one vehicle space on the vessel is lost. The ferry representative estimated this would reduce annually vehicle revenue by

$2 7 ,000 to $ 45 ,000 and passenger revenue b y $ 2 4 ,000 to $ 41 ,000 (passenger s are charged separatel y) , for a combined estimated annual revenue loss of $ 51 ,000 to $ 86 ,000. The ferry representative evaluated whether to regain this lost vehicle space and revenue b y lengthening the vessel 16 feet 7 which would increase the cost to constructed the new vessel to the new designs by

$ 270 ,000 (a 6.7 percent total increase) . Because of uncertainties about how the vessel would handle in winter icy conditions with 16 feet added , the ferry representative proposed to not increase the vessel length and take the revenue loss

. **2 .**  **Transportation Seats** There are 18 interior passenger seat s in the main deck cabin, 17 interior seats and 10 additional interior seats at three tables in the mezzanine cabin, and 120 exterior seats on the

6 About 6 feet of stair landing is provided at the after stair and is not included in the 56 and 71 feet value. 15 feet increase: stairs 6 ft, toilet room 2 ft, cabin 2 ft, and cabin forward door exterior maneuvering space 5 ft. 7 The fourth lane needs at least 16 more feet to be able to effectively park an additional vehicle. If 16 additional feet is added to lane four, lanes one through three would be increased by 16 feet. This action wo uld have increased the carrying capacity of the ferry from 18

- 20 vehicles to 22

- 24 vehicles, and the impact on vessel stability and fuel consumption would be minimal ( estimated to be less than 700 gallons annually).5

upper deck (second deck)

. One small wheelchair space is provided at the after end of main deck cabin. The seating areas on this ferry would be classified by

the proposed guidelines as transportation seating areas. V106.5. As the vessel is certified to carry 150 passengers (although 165 fixed seats are provided in this ferry which includes 10 at tables), the guidelin es require three wheelchair spaces to be provided. V22 2.3.1 Exception

. Since vertical access is not provided from the main deck to the transportation seating areas on the mezzanine level and upper deck, the three wheelchair spaces must be placed in the m ain deck cabin, the only

seating area on the entry deck. V22 2.3.3

. The cabin is about seven feet wide and could not be made wider without impacting vehicle lanes one through three . The ferry representative proposed to increase the length of the cabin b y two feet , for an overall length of about 2 4 feet , to provide the three wheelchair spaces and also maneuvering clearance for the forward door. Outside the footprint of the two door maneuvering clearances (forward and after cabin doors) , along the outboard bulkhead ( starboard side wall) , five fixed seats are provided, two at the forward end of the cabin and three at the after end. Between the two groups of fixed seats, three (end to end) wheelchair spaces 8 positioned parallel with the outboard bulkh ead are proposed for the new designs

. The seating originall y provided along the inboard bulkhead (port side wall) is proposed to be removed to provide part of the forward door maneuvering clearance and an onboard accessible route running past the three wheelchair spaces. These changes reduced the number of fixed seats in the cabin from 18 to 5

. The ferry representative noted that the loss of interior seating in the main deck cabin is important because it is primarily used b y people who cannot climb stairs (e.g. , seniors), or people who prefer to not climb the stairs (e.g., families with small children), during the cold weather season to use the interior seating in the mezzanine cabin. To provide some additional seating, the ferry representative proposed to prov ide 10 fold

- down seats (with spring

- hinges to keep the seat in an up position unless occupied) between the three wheelchair spaces and the outboard bulkhead. For passenger safety reasons, the ferry representative did not want to expand the width of the ca bin and reduce the exterior pedestrian walkway

which separate s the cabin from vehicle lane number three and provide s some overlap for larger vehicles.

8 Because the two wheelchair spaces at the end of the row could be entered from a forward direction, those spaces are 36 inches wide by 48 inches long. As the middle wheelchair space must be entered from the side, its dimension is 36 inches by 60 inches long. In this seating configuration, the guidelines prohibit wheelchair spaces in transportation seating areas from being entered through other wheelchair spaces. V802.1.4.6 **Figure 4**  **. Main Deck Passenger Cabin**

**– Original and**  **New Layout s**  D ue to the lack of space in the main d eck cabin, the ferry representative proposed in the new designs (as in the original designs) to onl y have tables on the mezzanine level. The ferry representative noted that if the proposed guidelines had required a table to be provided in the main deck cabin, the ferry representative would have removed all tables from the vessel due to seating limitations in the cabin and safety concerns about passengers using the table as a seat 9

. With the lengthening of the main deck cabin, the stairs at both ends of the cabin/toilet room portion of the fourth lane structure are further separated by about two feet . To align the stairs with the mezzanine level stairs, the mezzanine is proposed to b e lengthened. This lengthening , combined with the mezzanine toilet room being removed, provided extra mezzanine cabin space in the new designs which is proposed to be occupied by additional fixed seats to compensate for the main deck seating losses . This action on the mezzanine increas ed the seating to a total of 3 0 interior seats (10 of which are at three tables)

. The upper deck (second deck) i s proposed to remain at 120 seats, as in the original design.

9 If a table is provided (aside from losing mo re than one fold

- down seat), when the main deck cabin seating is in demand, the end of the table would be used as a bench (the sides being occupied by fold

- down seats) creating an unsafe seating condition when the vessel is in motion.7 Number of Fixed Seats (FS) and Wheelchair Spaces (WcS) Seating Area Main Deck

Cabin Mezzanine

Cabin 2 nd D eck

Exterior Total Original Designs 18 FS and 1 WcS 10 27 FS (10 seats at tables) 120 FS 165 FS and 1 WcS New Designs 1 5 FS (1 0 are fold

down seats) and 3 WcS 3 0 FS (10 seats at tables) 120 FS 1 65 FS (1 0 fold

down) and 3 WcS The main deck cabin and mezzanine level lengthening is estimate to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by 46,200 11 

### Actions That Incur Additional Costs But Do Not Have Significant **Impact s**  **3 . Storage**  The only passenger storage facilities provided in the ferry are life jacket storage facilities. The proposed guidelines require one storage facility of each type to be accessible in each accessible space containing passenger storage facilities. V225.2. The ferry representative proposed to add three accessible life jacket storage facilities, one in the main deck cabin, one in the mezzanine cabin and one on the second upper deck. Each accessible storage facility would hold 12 to 16 life jackets. This action is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $ 975

. **4 . Protruding Objects**  The underside of the two stairs on the main deck could be considered part of circulation paths to persons with visual impairments. The proposed guideli nes require guardrails or other barriers where the vertical clearance on passenger circulation paths is less than 80 inches high. V204.1 and V307.4. The ferry representative proposed to install in the new designs guardrails between the underside of the two stairs and the remainder of the main deck. This action is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $ 1,800

.

10 The original wheelchair space was smaller than that required by the proposed guidelines. 11 Estimate of $43,000 (2006 dollars) was provided, but it applied to the fourth lane structure w hich was about 76 feet long in earlier drafts of the study. With only 3 wheelchair spaces needed (not 4 as in earlier drafts ) in the main deck cabin and two only had to be 4 feet long (vs. 5 feet), the cabin structure impact was reduced in length which reduced the fourth lane structure to about 71 feet in the 2008 draft of the study. As this is about a 10 percent reduction, $43,000 was reduced by 10 percent to $38,700 in 2006 dollars and updated to $46,200 in 2011 dollars. This value originally included the cost of reducing the stair slopes from about 40 degrees to about 32.5 degrees , thus increasing the stair footprint . However, since the proposed guidelines has no general stair requirements, except the protruding object provisions in V204 that apply to passenger circulation paths , this value to some degree overstates the cost of cab in lengthening, adding bow door maneuvering clearance, and related ripple effect in the mezzanine level lengthening. When the case study is updated to reflect the final guidelines, this value will be adjusted.8

**5 .**  **Emergency Communications (new)**  The vessel has no audible general emergency alarm so visual alarms in passenger areas are not required in the new designs . V215.1. The vessel has an installed public address s ys tem that the study

assumes provides emergency information to passengers. Therefore, the propose guidelines require a vessel

- wide assistive listening sy stem to be provided. V219.2.2. A FM (frequency modulation) assistive listening sy stem serving all passenger areas is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $4,700 12

. 

### O **ther O**  **utcomes 6. Stairs**  Two exterior sets of exit stairs connect th e main deck with the mezzanine level and the upper deck (second deck). The stairs are open to the weather, except the portion at the bow stair between main deck and the mezzanine level. The slope of the stairs is about 40 degrees, as allowed b y the US Co ast Guard (USCG). The stairs are also part of two accessible means of escape 13 connecting the main deck and upper deck. V207.1. The guidelines require no changes to these stairs and therefore create no impacts

.

12 V219.2.2 is new

to the updated case study and the ferry representative has not reviewed the results. The vessel

- wide assistive listening system (ALS) applies only to passenger areas, not crew only areas. No passenger areas are assembly areas, and the c ar parking area is not a transportation seating area (TSA). Per V219.3, the number of receivers is determined by the number of fixed seats in TSAs. In the new designs, the vessel has three TSAs, one on each deck, with 165 total fixed seats. An exception allows the number of receivers to be determined by the maximum passenger capacity that is 150. The ALS’s estimated cost is $4,700; it requires 6 quality receivers with headsets/neckloops ($1,700), one FM transmitter with related support material ($1,400) , and engineering, installation, and other expenses ($1,600). 13 The accessible means of escape (AMOE) provisions require the AMOE to comply with substantially equivalent levels of protection from hazards as required by the US Coast Guard for the means of escape (MOE). Because the MOE runs from the main deck to an area of refuge on the upper (second) deck and passengers are routed to the upper deck in certain emergencies before any consideration is made to evacuate the vessel, the two AMOE are also require d to connect the upper deck area of refuge. V207.1. No impacts are determined since no protected waiting areas (i.e., areas where passengers unable to independently use stairs wait in a protected area for crew assistance up or down exit stairs) are expec ted at the stair entries which are open to the weather and no change in stair geometry is expected. Advisory V207.1. In addition, for the mezzanine stair entry at the bow end, even though crew

mem bers may assist certain passengers from the main deck to the area of refuge on the upper deck (in some emergency conditions), the case study expects a protected waiting area would not be needed at the bow stair on the mezzanine level (which is not open to the weather) to still provide a substantially equivalent l evel of protection from hazards on the AMOE that runs past the mezzanine. V207.1. In the 2008 draft of the guidelines, a protected waiting area (called an area of temporary refuge in th at draft) was required on the mezzanine level at the bow stair and wa s addressed in an attachment to the 2008 version of the study. As the proposed guidelines wo uld not expect this area to be provided, the attachment on this subject was removed in the updated AMOE provisions.9

**7 . Toilet Rooms**  A single

- user toilet room is provided on the main deck and a smaller one on the main deck mezzanine. The proposed guidelines require both toilet rooms to be accessible. V213.2. The ferry representative proposed in the new designs to reconfigure the main deck toilet room to comply

with the guidelines. This action (which is principally engineering design work) is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel 14 by about $ 500

. Because the mezzanine toilet room is not a needed customer amenity and because the ferry representative thought it was illogical to make a toilet room on the mezzanine wheelchair accessible when no vertical access is required to the mezzanine, the ferry representative proposed to not provide the mezzanine toilet room. Th is action is estimated to reduce the cost to construct the new vessel (which is principally due to reduced labor and material costs) by $ 16,000 . These combined toilet room actions are estimated to reduce the cost to construct the new vessel by $ 15,500

. **8 . Vertical Access to Main Deck Mezzanine and Upper Deck (Second Deck)**  The ferry has two passenger decks 15 with only the main deck being an entry deck. The proposed guidelines do not require an elevator or other means of vertical access to connect the me zzanine level and upper deck (second deck) 16 . V206.2.1 Exception 1 and V206.2.2 Exception 2. Where vertical access is not provided in a vessel, certain amenities (e.g., seating area, drinking fountain, and toilet room) must be provided on the entry deck. V211.1.1, V213.1.1, etc. As no drinking fountain is provided on this vessel and as the main deck (entry

deck) has a toilet room and seating area (in the main deck cabin), the guidelines regarding this issue require no action in the new designs.

14 The main deck toilet room was lengthened b y about 2 feet and the redesign basically was just a reconfiguration of the existing bulkhead (wall) material. 15 A mezzanine is not a deck in the proposed guidelines but is a change in level within a deck. 16 Although vertical access is not required to th e mezzanine or second upper deck, the exceptions do not remove the obligation to comply with the proposed guidelines on these levels. For example, if a toilet room is provided on the mezzanine, it would still be required to comply.10

**9 .**  **Accessible Route on the Main Deck 17**  The vessel has two entry

points located at each end of the main deck where the vessel gangway s are provided. An unobstructed accessible route runs about 2/3 the length of the main deck but does not directly connect the entry

points. The proposed guidelines allow vehicle lanes to overlap onboard accessible routes and ac cessible means of escape. V403.1 . Therefore, no change in the new designs is required.

**Figure 5**  **. Original Vessel** 
**- Main Deck**  **Accessible Route 10**  **. Electrical**  **Power, Fuel Consumption,**  **and Vessel Stability Impacts** The ferry representative estimated the proposed changes to meet the proposed guidelines would have an insignificant impact on vessel ’s stability and fuel consumption.

17 Sufficient clearance s exist on the mezzanine and second upper deck for accessible routes required by V206.2.2.11 

### Summary The ferry representative estimated it would cost approximately $ 3.75 million to $4 million to construct the ferry in 2006 , updated to about $4.48 million to 4.78 million in 2011 dollars (average $4.63 million)

. Option s 1

- The ferry

representative estim ated that the proposed new designs to meet the proposed guidelines would add about $ 38 ,000 to the vessel’s (updated) construction costs, less than a 1 percent increase in cost

. The new designs also would result in the los s of the mezzanine toilet room and one vehicle parking space, and is estimated to cause a loss of $ 51 ,000 to $ 86 ,000 in annual revenue

. Option 2

- Although most of the case study focuses on option 1, because of the revenue loss, in the updated case study , option 2 was added to record in one place the impacts identified where the vessel is lengthened to restore the loss vehicle space and therefore not trigger the revenue loss. A 16 foot lengthening would increase the cost to construct the new vessel to the new designs recorded in option 1 by $270,000, a 6.7% total increase. This lengthening would not have an impact on vessel stability and fuel consumption would be minimal (estimated to be less than 700 gallons annually). The costs for Options 1 and 2 are summarized below.

20 Car Vehicle Ferry 2006 Estimates 2011 Estimates Construction Cost (original vessel) $3.75 M

- $4 M $4.48M

- $4.78M Emergency

Communications 4,7 00 Removed Mezzanine Toilet Room and Reconfigure Main Deck Toilet Room - 13,000

- 15,500 Cabin/Mezzanine Level Lengthening 38,700 46,200 Guardrails

- Underside of Two Main Deck Stairs 1,500 1,800 Three Accessible Life Jacket Storage Facilities 975 (325 each) 1,200 Total (% increase) $28,175 (< 1%) $38,400 (< 1%) (Option 2) Additional cost 1 6 f oot lengthening to restore the vehicle space

- Total (% increase) $226,000 (6.6%) $270,000 (6.7%)