As Annapolis moves forward with plans to revitalize City Dock—incorporating green spaces, a children’s splash park, and a Maritime Welcome Center honoring late community figures like Vince Leggett—local leaders are clashing over a key component of the infrastructure: a public harbor ferry pilot. City officials secured a Federal Transit Administration grant to fund the initiative, but friction between the administration and the City Council has left the vessel design-build request for proposals stalled.
Proponents of the project argue that a municipal ferry is vital for connecting isolated communities, reducing traffic congestion, and meeting long-standing environmental goals. The initiative aims to provide accessible transit for residents of public housing communities such as Eastport Terrace and Harbour House, offering car-free travel options across Spa Creek and linking neighborhoods to downtown attractions and regional parks like Quiet Waters Park.
The concept is rooted in years of municipal planning. The 2010 Sustainable Annapolis Community Action Plan called for harbor ferry service, a recommendation later echoed by the 2021 Maritime Task Force. In 2022, the City Council unanimously adopted the 100 Percent Electric Mobility Plan, which designated water transportation as a foundational travel option. Subsequent documents, including the Annapolis Ahead 2040 Comprehensive Plan, continued to prioritize the pilot.
Federal Grants Fund Ferry Despite Local Political Resistance
To finance the project, Annapolis competed for and secured a federal transit grant covering 85% of the capital cost. The initiative also attracted letters of support from regional bodies, including the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, Anne Arundel County, and environmental groups such as the Severn River Association and Spa Creek Conservancy.
Despite this backing, the project has faced recent political resistance. The Mayor and the Ward 8 Alderman have publicly questioned the utility of the ferry service and suggested that the project’s fate remains undecided. According to municipal leadership, the vessel design-build request for proposals has been held back since spring. While administration officials have expressed skepticism regarding public demand, the City Council’s Environmental Matters Committee has received supportive testimony from former Mayor Gavin Buckley, former Alderman Ross Arnett, and representatives from the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation.
Subsidies and Neighboring Water Transit Support Ferry Viability
Financial feasibility studies requested by the Mayor estimate the ferry’s potential annual operating gap at approximately $91,500. Proponents note that public transit, roads, and municipal parking are routinely subsidized as public services rather than operated for profit.
Supporters point to neighboring examples of water transit as proof of viability. Baltimore’s free Harbor Connector operates year-round on weekdays—projected to carry more than 325,000 riders—with the majority of passengers arriving on foot or by bicycle. The historic Oxford-Bellevue Ferry has carried passengers across the water since 1683, and Anne Arundel County holds a separate federal grant to establish a regional ferry network centered on Annapolis.
City Charter Requires Mayor to Execute Council Approved Budget
The dispute has evolved into a debate over executive authority and municipal governance. Under the city code and Article V, Section 2 of the Annapolis City Charter, the Mayor is required to faithfully execute actions taken by the City Council and administer the budget as adopted. Because the ferry project has remained in the city’s capital budget since fiscal year 2023, supporters argue that the executive branch lacks the unilateral authority to cancel or indefinitely delay an approved policy.
Advocates maintain that any attempt to reverse the multi-year transit policy requires formal legislation and a public vote by the City Council rather than administrative inaction. As the October 2027 federal grant deadline approaches, the City Council and the administration face mounting pressure to resolve the impasse over the procurement process.
