Greater Greater Portland: Frog Ferry - Portland's Proposed Water Taxi

Join us this Sunday, August 20th at 4pm for Greater Greater Portland, a production of Portland Radio Project, diving deep into the issues involving the Portland Metro Region. Listen live at 99.1 FM in the heart of Portland – or online anywhere at PRP.fm.

The topic of discussion for this episode is the Frog Ferry proposal, which is the idea to bring a foot ferry/water taxi service to Willamette and Columbia rivers in Portland.

Xavier, Bradley, and Jenna share their initial impressions of this idea, ranging from skepticism to staunch support.

To better contextualize the Frog Ferry movement, Xavier lays out the history of ferries in the Portland Metro area. While they are no longer as prevalent as they used to be, some roads to retain the name (ie. Scholls Ferry Rd, Boones Ferry Rd). They he details how the idea for this current ferry came about.

The discussion then moves on to technical and infrastructural hurdles facing the project, mostly stemming from a lack of initiative and support from Portland City Council. Given this, the friends then answer if existing transportation could be modified to reach the goal of Frog Ferry, and if it is even financially feasible.

The episode ends on a light and hopeful note, with a conversation on the benefits of the ferry. And if they receive the finances needed, the pilot program could be on the water in as soon as two years.