Port Aransas workers who must take the ferry to reach their jobs will have a new way to shave time off their morning commute with the launch of the RTA's ferry shuttle service.

Through an agreement between the Regional Transportation Authority and the city of Port Aransas, two Route 99 buses will operate on a seasonal schedule, picking up riders at the ferry landing and shuttling them to their workplaces.

The Port Aransas ferry provides a link between the mainland and the island. Each of the six ferryboats can carry as many as 20 passenger vehicles per trip and transport about 100 vehicles per hour, according to the Texas Department of Transportation's Web site.

An average ferryboat trip can take from three to 10 minutes, but spring break and summer months often produce a line of vehicles waiting to board the free ferries.

City officials said the new shuttle service will lessen the time workers wait for a ferry during that busy season. Both buses will operate from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. seven days a week through Oct. 31.

After a free two-week introductory period, riders will pay 25 cents a trip, said City Manager Michael Kovacs.

A Federal Job Access and Reverse Commute grant for $335,073 will support the service through 2013. The grant also requires the RTA to match the funding. The city was tasked with helping plan the route and schedule. The Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce also conducted an informal survey of more than two dozen local businesses to gauge interest in the service.

The city, which has a population of about 3,370, has three other RTA services. But the ferry shuttle, which also is available to residents and tourists, would specifically address the travel needs of workers who don't live in the city.

To use the new service, drivers can park their vehicles on the Aransas Pass side and then board the ferry as passengers.

After getting off the ferry in Port Aransas, passengers then will board a shuttle, which will travel a fixed route and make more than a dozen stops at local businesses along Avenue G, State Highway 361, Cotter Avenue and 11th Street.

Mary Ann Cavazos
Caller Times

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Cinnamon Shore: A unique beachfront community incorporating retail, live-work, and traditional residential homes. Cinnamon Shore is located on Mustang Island about 30 minutes from Corpus Christi. For generations, Mustang Island has been a well-kept secret getaway for its spectacular fishing and bird-watching, expansive beaches and temperate climate. Today, the island is still every bit the unspoiled natural wonder that captivated explorers and pirates over a century ago.

The U.S. House on Tuesday approved $750,000 to help Texas pay for a $4 million Port Aransas ferryboat that would shorten delays by carrying more vehicles.
The funding, a part of the annual Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, would be used for the construction of a new 28-car ferryboat. The bill now must go before the Senate for consideration.
The federal funding would help offset the cost for state transportation officials, who have already budgeted for the project in the 2008 fiscal year, said ferry operations manager Howard Gillespie.
The ferryboat could be ready for operation by late next year, Gillespie said. The project's design phase will likely begin next month.
"The seventh vessel will help support the traffic demand we have now," Gillespie said. "It'll be a little longer and a little wider but will still fit the existing ramps."
The Port Aransas ferry service, which operates continuously, provides a link between the mainland and Mustang Island. Each of the six ferryboats can carry about 20 passenger vehicles per trip across the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
On average, the ferry service carries 4,000 to 6,000 vehicles a day, but during holidays and spring break additional traffic can delay the wait for a ferryboat by more than an hour.
"During peak times it can easily be nine- to ten-thousand vehicles a day, so we really need the additional vessel," Gillespie said.
Earlier this month, transportation and city officials launched another project aimed at helping prospective riders avoid long lines at the ferry landing.
Links to footage from four Web cameras -- three on the Port Aransas side and one on the Harbor Island side -- were posted on the city's Web site at www.cityofportaransas.org. The images, which come from the ferry's security camera system, refresh every five to 10 seconds.
BY MARY ANN CAVAZOS
Caller-Times

Very helpful for me, I must walk from 361/Ave G.
would be very interested