Newport to Providence Ferry Planned

NEWPORT, RI—Ferry service from Newport to Providence could return to Narragansett Bay.

The state Department of Transportation issued a request for proposals earlier this month seeking a ferry operator to run ferries between July and September this summer from Perotti Park in Newport to the former Shooters property in Providence.

The DOT is coordinating with the state Department of Environmental Management to prepare the site for ferry service and parking.

The RFP calls for daily service between July 1 and Sept. 5.

A Rhode Island Public Transit Authority ferry had run between Providence and Newport from 2000 to 2008 with a federal subsidy but the service ended when the money ran out and the state struggled to attract bidders to operate the service.

The ferry could unlock a variety of tourism-boosting opportunities and Newport tourism officials are hopeful something comes together.

"Should ferry service between Newport and Providence return, it would be a great benefit to both residents and visitors alike," said Evan Smith, President and CEO of Discover Newport. "Visitors especially will appreciate and celebrate the diverse experiences offered by both our cities, and the cruise on Narraganset Bay is unparalleled. We eagerly await developments following the RFP process.”

Meanwhile, Rhode Island Fast Ferry, which runs high-speed ferry service to Martha's Vineyard, Block Island and Narragansett Bay lighthouse cruises, already has an application with the state Public Utilities Commission to run a ferry service between Providence and Newport with an option to stop at Quonset Point.

Rhode Island Fast Ferry President Charles A. Donadio said in an e-mail that he is reading through the April 8 DOT RFP.

Meanwhile, the Shooters site is a prime slice of Providence waterfront that has been a tough problem for the DEM, which has been unable to find a suitable developer for the site.

The former Shooters Watefront Cafe, a former nightclub, became state property during the Interstate 195 relocation project. Voters approved a $3.2 million bond to buy the property in 2010.