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20 Car Vehicle Ferry Case Study - Private Entity

June 25, 2013

Introduction

The ferry was constructed in 2003 and carries about 18 to 20 vehicles

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and is certified to 

carry 150 passengers. It was designed to replace an older vessel which provided winter 

services 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 about 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 gangways

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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 holds 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 by 

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

 Main Deck Mezzanine Level - The main deck mezzanine is about 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).

 

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 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.
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Figure 2. Mezzanine Level – Original Design

 Upper Deck – The (second) upper deck is about 43 feet long and 35 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 only 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
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Methodology

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

representative3of the ferry to identify passenger features that would not meet the 2006 

draft passenger vessel accessibility guidelines4. The ferry representative proposed new 

designs for 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.

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 1.19485to produce 2011 values. The ferry representative has not reviewed 

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 representative 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 $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 loss 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 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 ferry representative did 

not choose this option, as discussed in the case study.

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 

 

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 

process.

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2006 draft guidelines, as amended by Board action at the 2007 and April 2008 meetings. 

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1.194773214 and results have been rounded.
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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. Vehicle Parking

The ferry is designed to carry 18 to 20 vehicles. Most of the fourth lane (starboard side) is 

occupied by the main deck structure which includes the seating cabin, two stairs, engine 

room access space, and toilet room, but has about 41 feet at the bow which is open for

about two subcompact vehicles 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 71feet6), thereby, reducing the length of the 

parking space at the bow from 41 feet to about 26 feet (26 feet from bow to bottom of bow 

stair). This reduction caused 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 is 100% full, the odds are a smaller car would always be available to 

more easily maneuver into the fourth lane. When the vessel is not 100% full, the fourth 

lane will probably 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 $27,000 to $45,000 and passenger revenue by $24,000 to 

$41,000 (passengers are charged separately), 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 by 

lengthening the vessel 16 feet7 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 seats 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 

would 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).
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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 

guidelines require three wheelchair spaces to be provided. V222.3.1 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 main 

deck cabin, the only seating area on the entry deck. V222.3.3.

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 by two feet, for an overall length of about 24 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 spaces8positioned parallel with the outboard bulkhead are proposed for the new 

designs. The seating originally 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 by 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 provide 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 cabin and reduce the exterior 

pedestrian walkway which separates the cabin from vehicle lane number three and provides

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.
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Figure 4. Main Deck Passenger Cabin – Original and New Layouts

Due to the lack of space in the main deck cabin, the ferry representative proposed in the 

new designs (as in the original designs) to only 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 seat9. 

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 be 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

increased the seating to a total of 30 interior seats (10 of which are at three tables). 

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

 

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 If a table is provided (aside from losing more 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. 
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Number of Fixed Seats (FS) and Wheelchair Spaces (WcS)

Seating

Area

Main Deck

Cabin

Mezzanine

Cabin

2nd Deck 

Exterior

Total

Original

Designs

18 FS and 1 WcS10 27 FS (10 seats

at tables)

120 FS 165 FS

and 1 WcS

New

Designs

15 FS (10 are folddown seats) and 3 WcS30 FS (10 seats 

at tables)

120 FS 165 FS (10 folddown) and 3 WcS

The main deck cabin and mezzanine level lengthening is estimate to increase the cost to 

construct the new vessel by 46,20011

Actions That Incur Additional Costs But Do Not Have Significant 

Impacts

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 guidelines 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.

 

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 The original wheelchair space was smaller than that required by the proposed guidelines.

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 Estimate of $43,000 (2006 dollars) was provided, but it applied to the fourth lane structure which 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 cabin 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.
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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 system 

that the study assumes provides emergency information to passengers. Therefore, the 

propose guidelines require a vessel-wide assistive listening system to be provided. 

V219.2.2. A FM (frequency modulation) assistive listening system serving all passenger 

areas is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $4,70012. 

Other Outcomes

6. Stairs 

Two exterior sets of exit stairs connect the 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 by the US Coast Guard (USCG). The stairs are also part of two 

accessible means of escape13 connecting the main deck and upper deck. V207.1. The 

guidelines require no changes to these stairs and therefore create no impacts.

 

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 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 car 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 required 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 expected 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 members 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 level 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 that draft) was required on the mezzanine level at the bow stair and was addressed in 

an attachment to the 2008 version of the study. As the proposed guidelines would not expect this area to be 

provided, the attachment on this subject was removed in the updated AMOE provisions. 
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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. This 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 decks15 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 mezzanine 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 by about 2 feet and the redesign basically was just a 

reconfiguration of the existing bulkhead (wall) material.

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 A mezzanine is not a deck in the proposed guidelines but is a change in level within a deck.

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 Although vertical access is not required to the 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.
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9. Accessible Route on the Main Deck17

The vessel has two entry points located at each end of the main deck where the vessel 

gangways 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 accessible 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.

 

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 Sufficient clearances exist on the mezzanine and second upper deck for accessible routes required by 

V206.2.2.
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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). 

Options 1 - The ferry representative estimated 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 loss 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) $3.75M - $4M $4.48M - $4.78M

Emergency Communications 4,700

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 16 foot lengthening to 

restore the vehicle space - Total (% increase) $226,000 (6.6%) $270,000 (6.7%)