RiverLink Ferry
Encyclopedia
The RiverLink Ferry is a passenger ferry
system that traverses a crossing of the Delaware River
, connecting the Camden, New Jersey
waterfront with Penn's Landing
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The ferry operates daily from May through September, and on Fridays through Sundays in April and October. Primarily, the system provides tourists
with a means to reach waterfront attractions. The service carries over 200,000 passengers per year and first turned a profit in 2006.
, or DRPA. The DRPA originally agreed to take over its operation in November 1999. Service is provided by Freedom Ferry, a 600 passenger vessel managed by Hornblower Marine Services. On June 3, 2005, Hornblower also began offering Delaware River ferry tours under the name "Harbor Tours."
In 2000, the United States Department of Transportation
, Federal Highway Administration
provided a grant of $1,306,500 for the purchase and conversion of a second vessel. This vessel, which became the Freedom Ferry, began operating in 2003 and eventually replaced the original vessel.
On October 31, 2005, the DRPA announced it had received federal funding of $7.3 million for improvements to the ferry's dock in Philadelphia, comprising $3.3 million up front plus $1 million a year for four years.
All fares listed are for round trips.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
system that traverses a crossing of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, connecting the Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
waterfront with Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing is the waterfront area of the Center City along the Delaware River section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is so named because the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, docked near here in 1682, along the now paved over Dock Creek, after landing first in New...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The ferry operates daily from May through September, and on Fridays through Sundays in April and October. Primarily, the system provides tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
with a means to reach waterfront attractions. The service carries over 200,000 passengers per year and first turned a profit in 2006.
History
The ferry service initiated operations in March 1992. Since April 1, 2000, the service has been operated by the Delaware River Port AuthorityDelaware River Port Authority
The Delaware River Port Authority is a bi-state instrumentality created by a Congressionally approved interstate compact between the governments of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey...
, or DRPA. The DRPA originally agreed to take over its operation in November 1999. Service is provided by Freedom Ferry, a 600 passenger vessel managed by Hornblower Marine Services. On June 3, 2005, Hornblower also began offering Delaware River ferry tours under the name "Harbor Tours."
In 2000, the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
, Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
provided a grant of $1,306,500 for the purchase and conversion of a second vessel. This vessel, which became the Freedom Ferry, began operating in 2003 and eventually replaced the original vessel.
On October 31, 2005, the DRPA announced it had received federal funding of $7.3 million for improvements to the ferry's dock in Philadelphia, comprising $3.3 million up front plus $1 million a year for four years.
Fares
- Adults - $7.00
- Seniors (65+) - $6.00
- Children (3-12) - $6.00
- Children (under 3) - Free
- Groups (15 or more) - $5.50
All fares listed are for round trips.