TORONTO, (Jan. 14, 2004) — A new fast ferry service between Rochester, N.Y., and Toronto has been given the green light to set sail in May, announced the company that will run the operation.

Operator Canadian-American Transportation Systems says the service will start out with one ferry, which can sail at over 50 mph. Each one-way trip will accommodate 750 people, 220 passenger cars, and about 10 commercial vehicles. The ship, which will make three round trips daily, measures 86.563 meters in length and 23.8 meters in width.

Today’s Trucking reported several weeks ago The Toronto Port Authority is building an $8-million, 2,700-square-metre terminal to accommodate the $42-million ferry.

Each sailing from Toronto’s lakeshore to Rochester’s terminal at the mouth of the Genesee River is expected to take about two hours and 15 minutes, which — when one considers the four hours by highway around Lake Ontario (not counting wait time at the border) — saves truckers about 50 per cent in transit time, the company says.

Rates for trucks are as follows: $ 80 for a tractor-trailer combination between 20-30 feet; $105 for 30-40 feet; and $140 for 40 feet and over. Each vehicle operator will also be charged $25 one-way. Passenger car service will cost $ 50, while those travelling without a vehicle will be charged $32 each way.

Moreover, CATS and government officials are exploring the possibility of whether the ship can be used as an actual border point, where security and customs clearance will be performed on the ship by respective Canadian and U.S. customs officials.