Transporting Passengers from Cruise Ships

Cruise Ships - Transporting Passengers

The navy requires that the city transport passengers from ships off the mole of the pier.

During an August, 2007 KW Comissioners meeting, it was discovered, that it was not necessary to transport passengers all the into town from the piers, where the conch tour trains take cruise ship passengers.

This current travel costs the City of Key West half a million dollars a year to take

Floating bridge is idea that merits exploring

Sept. 2, 2007

Two different walking bridges have been proposed for the Key West waterfront. Key West Commissioner Mark Rossi suggests looking into the feasibility of putting a movable, floating bridge from the end of the Outer Mole Pier where cruise ships dock to connect with the East Quay. The East Quay is the seawall and walkway on the inside of the harbor, part of the city's Truman Waterfront property.

The bridge would eliminate the need for ground transportation for cruise passengers who disembark on the Outer Mole Pier. Passengers could walk from the East Quay down Southard Street — or Eaton Street if it is opened.

Passengers are now transported by Conch Train to the center of town.

The bridge would need to be movable so the entrance to the ship basin would be open to boat traffic except when needed by cruise ship passengers.

Rossi saw such a floating bridge on a recent cruise to Curacao. The Queen Emma Bridge (built in 1898, by the way) extends across Willemstad Harbor, and swings 90 degrees against the harbor bulkhead to let cruise ships pass. Rossi believes a similar bridge would cost about $2 million, and could pay for itself in two or three years. At present, ground transportation for passengers is provided by Historic Tours of America under a $500,000-per-year contract.

The floating bridge concept is certainly creative thinking and worth exploring. However, no action should be taken until a thorough feasibility study is conducted with careful consideration of the costs and benefits.

A second bridge being proposed is a short walking bridge over Admiral's Cut, the remnant of a short canal which now separates the East Quay from the Westin Resort and Pier. This bridge would connect the Key West Harbor walkway with the city's Truman Waterfront property and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. It would be similar to the bridge which connects Mallory Square and the Westin Resort on the east side. This seems like a no-brainer. We encourage the city to proceed with installation of this short walking bridge over Admiral's Cut immediately.