Throughout history, waterways have been conduits of transportation. Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington are unique locations that sit at the confluence of two majestic rivers, with the City of Portland split by the Willamette River (east to west) and the states of Washington and Oregon divided by the Columbia River (north to south). The tremendous growth in this region has resulted in a need for an expanded transportation infrastructure. Nearly every other major river city in the world has a passenger ferry service or are investing and growing their services.
Since Spring 2017, work has been underway by Friends of Frog Ferry to start a public passenger ferry service on the Willamette River. Portland is one of four major river cities in the nation to not have water-based transit. Friends of Frog Ferry has worked with the key transit agencies that comprise our Public Transit Agency Team: ODOT, PBOT, METRO, and TriMet; they asked Friends of Frog Ferry to provide the leadership and are committed to supporting our efforts.
Create a safe and sustainable river-friendly public passenger ferry service to better connect people to their rivers and help alleviate traffic congestion in the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan area.
- Reduce congestion
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Remove thousands of cars from the road everyday, improving the commute for many
- Build resiliency and emergency response
- Enhance community livability
- Provide a low-cost means of connecting marginalized populations with jobs and services
- Connect residents and visitors to our river to foster stewardship
- Educate denizens about river habitats and the 300+ year history of Indigenous Peoples