We were encouraged to hear that the town’s ferry service to Boston drew as many as 9,000 passengers last year and that it will be resuming on Memorial Day weekend and continuing through the summer. That’s why Councillor Linda Calla’s idea to start a shuttle service in the town to and from the Town Landing so when Winthrop passengers disembark, after maybe a late dinner on a summer night in Boston, there can be a shuttle waiting to transport them to their homes. Some people may not feel like driving at that hour and would welcome a ride to their homes. Calla also mentioned that driving the shuttle would be a great part-time job for someone and we agree with her reasoning there as well.
There would seem to be a market for a shuttle service and some entrepreneur in the town will likely be reviewing whether Calla’s idea can be financially viable on a seasonable basis. We know that Linda, who’s always been very thorough in her work as a councilor, will do her own research to see if other communities with ferry services have attempted an in-town shuttle service to complement the ferry service and make it more convenient for passengers.
Of course, the shuttle service also would work well for tourists coming from Boston who would no doubt welcome the luxury of boarding a van to transport them to a Winthrop restaurant, but that entire effort of making Winthrop a tourist destination, in the manner of a Rockport or an Old Marblehead, needs substantial support from the town. And we haven’t even ventured into the potential of having a shuttle service from the proposed casino at Suffolk Downs to Winthrop.
With the ferry service resuming in two months, Linda Calla’s idea needs a review and approval if our other town leaders believe it will benefit our residents.
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So who is going to pay for this wingding shuttle idea? Will a surcharge be put on the ferry fares to pay for the part time shuttle driver? And who is going to supply the vehicle? Most basic question is, does the town owe residents transportation so they can go out and get drunk in Boston and then come home and not have to drive?