I recently put an overview of Hong Kong's Star Ferry on my blog and saw an article on the Goldenrod Showboat in the news today.
It seems like the active use of boats in the local imagination would have them moored in place and not going anywhere. If they move, then they're just tour boats. There's no option for actual travel, to the best of my knowledge, except maybe something limited like this,
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There are many river cities around the world that make active use of boats as part of the pulic transit network. Hong Kong is a good example because their buses, trains, and boats all use the same payment system (a smart card system like what Metro will be getting). Bangkok is a great example because they have lots of owner-operated boats for hire picking up the slack where the big boats fail to go. In some cases, hiring a boat is way faster than taking a regular taxi or tuktuk because Bangkok's canal system is so extensive.
Most people in St. Louis recognize Alton as part of the St. Louis region, but few have actually been there. What if there was an express boat like the Goldenrod or the Admiral that ran back and forth from the arch to Alton? If there were a few boats and one came every hour or so, I'd happily spend a Saturday up there. I don't know how long it'd take to make the trip, but I'd be happy standing on an open deck admiring the scenery for an hour. Or if there are stops all along the way and I can board my bicycle, maybe I'd bike farther north than usual. Could people living in Alton commute to downtown by boat? Getting to work would be faster than getting back considering the current.
Other potential ferry destinations from the arch might be St. Charles, Chesterfield, Carondelet/Patch/Lemay, Kimmswick, Herculaneum, St. Gen (a bit far).
I don't know what kind of commute times would be possible or what the cost of operations would be like, but connecting far away historic mainstreets to downtown by riverboat would be a good thing for places like Kimmswick that bank on historic buildings, festivals, and walkability.
It seems like the active use of boats in the local imagination would have them moored in place and not going anywhere. If they move, then they're just tour boats. There's no option for actual travel, to the best of my knowledge, except maybe something limited like this,
There are many river cities around the world that make active use of boats as part of the pulic transit network. Hong Kong is a good example because their buses, trains, and boats all use the same payment system (a smart card system like what Metro will be getting). Bangkok is a great example because they have lots of owner-operated boats for hire picking up the slack where the big boats fail to go. In some cases, hiring a boat is way faster than taking a regular taxi or tuktuk because Bangkok's canal system is so extensive.
Most people in St. Louis recognize Alton as part of the St. Louis region, but few have actually been there. What if there was an express boat like the Goldenrod or the Admiral that ran back and forth from the arch to Alton? If there were a few boats and one came every hour or so, I'd happily spend a Saturday up there. I don't know how long it'd take to make the trip, but I'd be happy standing on an open deck admiring the scenery for an hour. Or if there are stops all along the way and I can board my bicycle, maybe I'd bike farther north than usual. Could people living in Alton commute to downtown by boat? Getting to work would be faster than getting back considering the current.
Other potential ferry destinations from the arch might be St. Charles, Chesterfield, Carondelet/Patch/Lemay, Kimmswick, Herculaneum, St. Gen (a bit far).
I don't know what kind of commute times would be possible or what the cost of operations would be like, but connecting far away historic mainstreets to downtown by riverboat would be a good thing for places like Kimmswick that bank on historic buildings, festivals, and walkability.
) jetted over to cuba for mojitos and dancing. Just gotta get a boat and Li Gong.