Effects of Ferry Vessel Design on Turnaround Time and Maneuvering (2026)
Chapter: Front Matter
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
CONTENTS
Ferry Vessel Turnaround Time, Maneuvering, and Vessel Design
Recommended Changes to the TCQSM
Appendix: Ferry Operator Meeting Summaries
Effects of Ferry Vessel Design on Turnaround Time and Maneuvering
As part of TCRP Project A-47, “Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, Fourth Edition,” the research team conducted a series of small research tasks to develop new content for the manual. This TCRP research results digest (RRD) is one of 12 presenting the results of these research tasks. TCRP Research Report 238: Quantitative Procedures for Designing and Operating Ferry Services identifies the need for research comparing dwell time and maneuvering requirements of different vessel types (Kissinger et al. 2023). This RRD summarizes insights gathered from outreach to ferry operators on selecting side- vs. bow-loading vessels, along with data on the two typesʼ dwell and maneuvering times. Alan Danaher and Murriah Dekle, both of WSP USA, New York, authored this RRD. The responsible staff officer is Dianne Schwager. Links to the 12 RRDs and TCRP Web-Only Document 79: Developing the Fourth Edition of the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual are available on the catalog page for TCRP Research Report 262: Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, Fourth Edition (https://doi.org/10.17226/29449).
INTRODUCTION
TCRP Project A-46, “Quantitative Procedures for Designing and Operating Ferry Systems,” identified a gap in knowledge related to dwell time and maneuvering requirements for different ferry vessel design options to inform capital investment planning. In particular, differences between side- and bow-loading, passenger-only vessels were identified as a future research need (Kissinger et al. 2023). As agencies evaluate future investments in vessel procurement and terminal infrastructure, especially for passenger-only operations, there is a need for clearer data and operator experience to inform these decisions.
To address this need, the team conducted a small research task as part of the updates to the ferry chapter of the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM) 4th edition. This task was designed to build on the TCRP A-46 project findings by collecting qualitative and quantitative insights from selected North American ferry operators to better understand how vessel design influences turnaround efficiency, docking procedures, and electrification readiness.
This report summarizes the outreach to ferry operators that the team conducted to obtain insights on the selection of side- vs. bow-loading vessels and data on dwell and maneuvering time for these two types of vessels.
STUDY OBJECTIVES
For this study, the research team had four primary objectives:
- Collect operator feedback on the current breakdown of vessel types, focusing on passenger-only vs. auto ferries and their loading configurations.
- Gather data or insights on maneuvering procedures, tie-up requirements, and dwell time across vessel types and terminal layouts.
- Identify any studies or modifications that agencies have undertaken to improve operational efficiency.
