Green Ferries? No, it’s not the Absinthe

Revived in the New York area in the mid 1980s and long a major part of the commuting system in Seattle and San Francisco, ferrying to and from work sounds charming — passengers can view miles of gorgeous shoreline, appreciate the city skyline, access the internet, and sip drinks to unwind after work. But the ugly truth is that the diesel fumes those boats spew pollute the atmosphere at a rate hundreds of times that of cars.

San Francisco has come up with a clean solution to dispatch with such diesel dirtiness. Solar Sailer, an Australian Company has created solar- and wind-powered ferries that use a combination of solar, wind, and newer, cleaner diesel engines. These new engines cut fuel consumption by 50% to 60% and drastically cut emissions that create smog and release carcinogens into the air by 70% to 90%. The principles they employ are similar to that of a hybrid car — and they do cost about $1.5 million more than typical ferries, but the extra expense can be recouped within three years at the current price of fuel. Two of these green ferries are scheduled to be used for the National Park Service tour of Alcatraz, former prison and now popular tourist attraction. The new technology comes just in the nick of time, as the San Francisco Water Transit Agency has just unveiled plans to triple the amount of ferry passengers by 2025 to ease the glut of commuter traffic.

Now a nice relaxing ride home from work is also friendlier for the environment and your lungs. Let’s hope Seattle and New York catch wind of San Francisco’s new idea and bring a breath of fresh air to their cities, too.