Airport asks Council to lower ferry fare by $30

thenorthernview.com/news/194358561.html

According to the Northern View the president of the Prince Rupert Airport Authority, Maureen Macarenko, wants City Council to lower the Digby Island Ferry fares for extra vehicle traffic from $45 to $15. The reason given in the article was: “the current $45 fee adds to the negative impression of airport customers “using dilapidated bus services and an outdated ferry” and is driving people to Terrace to park and fly out of the Northwest Regional Airport.” and “since very few are willing to pay the $45 fee” the airport is losing parking revenue.

Rick Reed, the airport manager, stated there was a 2% increase in passengers in 2012 compared to the year before and a 4.48% increase this January 2013 compared to January 2012. This 2% increase in passengers came with 255 less aircraft landing at the airport. I think it is also safe to assume the traffic numbers will be increasing over time. I do not believe there is any evidence to support a significant increase in passengers deferring to Terrace airport, especially with the growth numbers we are seeing at YPR. I look forward to seeing what is presented on March 4th.

Since the cost of transportation, including the ferry, is included in the airfare ticket a passenger should be able to retain a refund from the airline which could be put towards the $45 (return) ferry fare. Add another passengers in their vehicle and the $45 ferry fare is meaningless. Any complaint by passengers about “using dilapidated bus services and an outdated ferry” would fall under Hawkair and Air Canada’s mandate would it not?

As far as the Airport losing parking revenue, I have little sympathy when the tax payers are on the hook for around $800,000 per year incurred from the ferry’s losses. Lowering the fare for personal vehicles lowers revenue, increases gross passenger weight, which increases operating costs. A gross imbalance of interests.

I don’t think the ferry has much more capacity for private vehicles anyways. Taken to the extreme, if everyone is driving to the airport because the ferry costs are so cheap then the city would have to subsidize an additional ferry trip or two. To reduce costs, city taxpayers need as many people as possible to take the bus.

The threat that is always cited is that travelers will choose Terrace over PR whenever the city’s ferry subsidy is discussed. I personally don’t think that travelers are as price sensitive as PR taxpayers think. Business and government passengers are not going to fly to Terrace and then rent a car and drive to PR for a meeting. (Imagine the bad public relations it would cause if we found out that Port Authority employees were using the Terrace airport instead of PR?) Passengers who don’t own vehicles are not going to Terrace. So what fraction of the total are passengers that are traveling for pleasure, own a car and are willing to risk winter driving and paying parking fees in Terrace in order to save a few bucks?

The solution, of course, is a road to the airport. Instead of allowing an LNG plant (or two) on Lelu Island which is right on the Skeena River and is surrounded by a huge shallow bank that would require dredging or a long causeway. Why not on the other side of the PR harbor? That way an LNG plant can fund the road to the plant and the province can pay for the bridge from Metlakatla to Digby Island. Metlakatla and Port Simpson can request the road extension as part of the negotiation for their approval of the LNG plant. If you think that might be too much to ask for these First Nations then you haven’t been paying attention to the Haisla deals.

With the LNG plant a short distance across the harbor from PR then the plant can pipe the massive amount of waste heat generated (you know how much heat your fridge puts out to cool the air inside it a few degrees then multiply by a billion) to homes in PR and pay for the piping infrastructure by collecting carbon credits for all the natural gas we don’t have to use to heat our own homes.

“Carbon Credits Scam” is a license to steal! biggest fricken scam going…

I agree. I believe the Digby Island Ferry has a 12 car capacity. Clearly not enough for everyone to take their car.

The only reason I could see any recent increase in passengers deferring to Terrace Airport would be the lack of Airmiles flights available in Prince Rupert.

[quote=“Kispiox”]
The solution, of course, is a road to the airport. Instead of allowing an LNG plant (or two) on Lelu Island which is right on the Skeena River and is surrounded by a huge shallow bank that would require dredging or a long causeway. Why not on the other side of the PR harbor? That way an LNG plant can fund the road to the plant and the province can pay for the bridge from Metlakatla to Digby Island. Metlakatla and Port Simpson can request the road extension as part of the negotiation for their approval of the LNG plant. If you think that might be too much to ask for these First Nations then you haven’t been paying attention to the Haisla deals.

With the LNG plant a short distance across the harbor from PR then the plant can pipe the massive amount of waste heat generated (you know how much heat your fridge puts out to cool the air inside it a few degrees then multiply by a billion) to homes in PR and pay for the piping infrastructure by collecting carbon credits for all the natural gas we don’t have to use to heat our own homes.[/quote]

Yes, a bridge would be an excellent solution.

Terrace airport is always busy because of the worker camps in Kitimat, and a percentage of Ruperites flying through there due to the fact that if i’m right Airmiles only has 1 or 2 seats per flight on Air Canada

There is no way that is true in regards to Airmiles only having 1 or 2 seats per flight.

I have recently flown out in a group of 4 before on the same AC plane all Air Miles seats.

I think its more like 6-8 seats per flight.

[quote=“Dex”]

As far as the Airport losing parking revenue, I have little sympathy when the tax payers are on the hook for around $800,000 per year incurred from the ferry’s losses. Lowering the fare for personal vehicles lowers revenue, increases gross passenger weight, which increases operating costs. A gross imbalance of interests.[/quote]

The Airport Authority’s proposal should be rejected.

To their credit the City Council increased fares to reduce the subsidy to the airport ferry - in past years the taxpayers have been on the hook for more than $800,000 a year. The Airport Authority wants the City to reduce its’ revenue, which will make its’ books look worse, so that the Airport Authority can justify collecting parking revenue, which will make its’ books look better.

YPR is owned by the City and the Airport Authority is appointed by the City Council. Hopefully the Airport Authority will realize that they work for the same taxpayers as the rest of the City and find more imaginative ways of making their books look better.

And our family of 5 never has a problem getting all air miles tickets on the same flight…

I think there’s a limit on the number of Aeroplan “classic” seats per flight. I’ve never had a problem getting Air Miles flights, though.

^^
That is incorrect as well.

We have flown out in a group of 6 using Aeroplan classic rewards flights, multiple times over the last 10 years, with absolutely no trouble.

I think the issue people are having is availability closer to their departure time.

If you wanna ensure you get a aeroplan or airmiles ticket with no hassle…book 6 months in advance and you will have no issues.

Yup, maybe the limit is 6 per flight :smile: You’re right, though, it’s never an issue if you book well in advance.

It really isn’t…even when booking in advance for high-travel weekends and months it doesn’t seem to be an issue.

The only problem is, who has all their future vacations planned 6 months in advance…haha.

I do find though that if I want to book a trip thats more spur of the moment (say 2-4 weeks away), I have much more success with Air Miles, than I do with Aeroplan.

The official line is that 8% of monthly seats per route are available for Aeroplan classic rewards.

So yeah, 6 or more is fine on a Dash 8, on average. Some flights will have more than 6 seats available, some less. How many seats on a Dash 8 these days?

If you book well in advance, you should be able to get them before anybody else. I’ve tried 4 seats before and was unable to do it, but was able to do 3 and one paid one, for example.

Hmmm, think of all the parking revenue the city is losing with the cost of the B.C. Ferry fares. If B.C. Ferries lowered their ferry fares by %70 or more, instead of raising the fares, the city could generate more parking revenue. Maybe City Council should write a letter to Maureen Macarenko, a B.C. Ferries Board member, requesting a 70% reduction in ferry fares on the Port Hardy to Prince Rupert run.

Just being silly. All this sunshine fills the head with silly thoughts.

Dear Dex:

  1. If you look carefully at the Fairview dock signage, it reads $40 … not $45 for vehicle traffic.

  2. If you look around the airport - there is not much in the way of parking - maybe 10 car capacity. However, the parking such as it is, appears to be un-monitored. This summer and fall when I parked at YPR for a couple of weeks, there was not so much as a ticket on my car or a bill sent.

  3. Given the fact airport parking appears to be free, how are they losing parking revenue?

  4. Given the lack of parking, should the people start taking their vehicles where will they park once the 10 spots fill up? All parking near the building is for staff of the airlines, airport, screening staff & probably trades from other companies. It is also not permitted to park vehicles that are unknown next to an airport building, no matter what airport. Guess they could park on the soft shoulder of the road into the airport but that doesn’t seem ideal either.

What next?

[quote=“kbrentzen”]Dear Dex:

  1. If you look carefully at the Fairview dock signage, it reads $40 … not $45 for vehicle traffic.

  2. If you look around the airport - there is not much in the way of parking - maybe 10 car capacity. However, the parking such as it is, appears to be un-monitored. This summer and fall when I parked at YPR for a couple of weeks, there was not so much as a ticket on my car or a bill sent.

  3. Given the fact airport parking appears to be free, how are they losing parking revenue?

  4. Given the lack of parking, should the people start taking their vehicles where will they park once the 10 spots fill up? All parking near the building is for staff of the airlines, airport, screening staff & probably trades from other companies. It is also not permitted to park vehicles that are unknown next to an airport building, no matter what airport. Guess they could park on the soft shoulder of the road into the airport but that doesn’t seem ideal either.

What next?[/quote]

Very good points!!! Probably seems hard to believe but this came from the Prince Rupert Airport Authority Board Members. Here is a copy of the letter to City Council from The Prince Rupert Airport Authority taken from the City of Prince Rupert’s 03-04-13 Special Agenda document :

I would like to see the minutes of this board meeting to see who voted for this. The current Prince Rupert Airport Authority Board of Directors are: Maureen Macarenko - President, Judy Fraser, Shane Deinstadt, Linda Lutz, Michael Shaw, David Fisher and Dianne Copperwaite. (Taken from the City Of Prince Rupert 05-28-12 Agenda document)

It seems that adding your points to the ones already mentioned makes this letter to council seem even more absurd. What next indeed!!!

Every one of those points is valid. That ferry and those buses are an embarrassment to PR.

[quote=“crazy Horse”]

Every one of those points is valid. That ferry and those buses are an embarrassment to PR.[/quote]

The only contract that the Airport Authority has with the “outdated” Digby Ferry, that I am aware of, is for staff transportation not passengers for airline flights. The parking issue was, at least, kindly shown to be a non issue by KB. Suggesting we lower the fare of a ferry running at losses of $700,000 + per year because the ferry is outdated and the bus transportation is dilapidated is absurd. I suspect this “community service” letter is more about self interest than any real concern. Several board members are frequent fliers and drive their car on the ferry.