Study finds Cleveland-to-Canada ferry is a good idea

If the plan is approved, the terminal would be behind Cleveland Browns Stadium.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- A Cleveland-to-Canada ferry could be commercially viable and in two years could be carrying more than 800 passengers and 400 cars per trip, according to a new study.
A $400,000 study by Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority recommends a ship that includes restaurants, bars, shops and cabins to take a nap, but no gambling, said Rose Ann DeLeon, the port authority's director of strategic development.
"When you say ferry, everyone around here thinks of the small ferries that run in the Lake Erie Islands," port authority executive director Gary Failor said. "But say the word to someone from the U.S. Northeast, and they think of huge crafts. That's what we're talking about, a ship five levels high that can transport hundreds of people and vehicles and tons of cargo."
The trip would take up to 41/2 hours and cost $45 to $55 per person one way. A car would cost an extra $50 to $60.
The port authority would not run the ferry, but would solicit proposals from about a dozen North American and European companies. The ferry would link Cleveland with Port Stanley, Ontario.
The port authority has no plan to subsidize the service, beyond lobbying for $6 million in federal assistance to build a terminal behind Cleveland Browns Stadium.
The ferry could be part of a development plan for Cleveland's lakefront, which includes moving shipping and warehousing operations west of the Cuyahoga River to make way for housing and other public uses.