WINOOSKI RIVER BIKE FERRY :: 1998 - 2003

Local Motion's first bike ferry ran across the mouth of the Winooski River between Delta Park in Colchester and the Auer Family Boat House in Burlington.  It all started when Brian Costello stopped Chapin Spencer on Burlington's College Street in 1997.  Brian told Chapin of his vision to connect the Colchester Causeway Park with the Burlington Bike Path.  Brian donated a motor and Chapin donated a boat.  Charlie and Christine at Auer's Boat House agreed to host the ferry service.  Governor Dean and community leader Bill Hauke were a couple of our first passengers in 1998.

Regular service across the river didn't begin until the fall of 2000 -- after more than a dozen public meetings and a couple court challenges.  A few Colchester residents worried that the ferry operation would hurt their neighborhood.   Fortunately, once regular service started, concerns dissapated.  The ferry ran 100 days a year and boarded between 19,000 and 25,000 passengers each season.

The last Winooski River ferry ran on October 13, 2003 as the new trail bridge was being constructed.  This would be the last day of service for old Bike Ferry I -- it was retired after six years of service.  Bike Ferry II would move up to "the cut" in the causeway.

Thank you to all who made this service possible: Governor Howard Dean, Senator Dick Mazza, Colchester Selectboard members Marc Landry and Bill MacLeay, Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle, Charlie Auer, Chistine Hebert, Jennifer Ely, Lee Winchester, Captains Robert Peterson, Chris Farmer, Ed Gorginzky, LM Staff Bob Reichel, VTrans staffers Amy Bell, Curt McCormack, Brian Searles, Sam Lewis and many others.

CAUSEWAY BIKE FERRY :: 2000 - Present

With a donated Colchester Police Boat sporting bike racks, we hosted our first demonstration crossing on July __, 2000.  Without docks and only a few boards for ramps, the loading and unloading onto the marble block causeway was challenging.  WCAX was filming this historic crossing when a 55-year-old passenger lost his balance on the ramp and fell into the lake.  He was quickly rescued and the WCAX interviewer asked "So what do you think of the service now?"  He replied "I love it.  This is great!"

Each year we improved the service.  Volunteer Steve Hard build our first real stairs down to donated docks in 2001.  In 2004, Bike Ferry III was christened the "Bill and Carole Hauke" thanks to the generous lead gift that enabled its purchase.  As a larger, more stable pontoon boat, it could provide more reliable service.  In 2005, a quick capital campaign raised $55,000 to install new ramps and docks.

Each year ridership and support has grown.  In 2005, we started operating two 6-passenger ferries at the cut to handle demand.  By 2008, we were boarding an average of 510 passengers per day.  Thanks to our 60-100 volunteers who make this demonstration service possible.

THE CAUSEWAY FERRY'S NEXT STAGE

While ridership continues to grow during demonstration service, we are still limited to a weekends in August schedule.  Why you ask?  Because we don't have sufficient infrastructure to handle regular service.  We need wave attenuators, a commercial vessel with a bathroom, and turnarounds on the causeway for emergency and maintence service.  Help us out.  Get involved.  Become a member today!