175
1 INTRODUCTION
We are becoming increasingly aware of our impacts on
nature and therefore more emphasis is being
concentrated on sustainable solutions. The reason for
this is not only a sense of responsibility for the natural
environment, but also improving the quality of life in a
broad sense. Also, appropriate actions are being
taken in the field of transport and mobility. More
ecological, less burdensome and more favourable
conditions for travellers are being sought. The factors
determining the commuting choice are mainly travel
time and cost. Less attention is paid to comfort. At the
same time, growing awareness in society means that
the impact of the chosen means of transport on the
environment is becoming an increasingly important
decision-making factor [1][5].
Inland waterways transport, including ferry
connections, are very popular in agglomerations
through which various types of water canals run.
Ferries create an indispensable complementary
network to land means of public transport [4][9].
Using ferry connections provides passengers with the
opportunity to shorten the distance to be covered.
Another positive aspect is that city authorities gain a
tool with which they can encourage residents to choose
public means of transport for everyday travel. The use
of a small passenger-bicycle ferry will encourage new
users to at least partially give up traveling by car.
Gdynia is a port city located in the northern part of
Poland [6], [10]. The city area is divided by a port canal
that penetrates into the land, which clearly affects the
transport routes connecting the northern part with the
Innovative and Sustainable Approaches to Urban
Waterborne Transport: Insights from Gdynia Port City
A. Wawrzyńska, A. Przybylowski & M. Baziuk
Gdynia Maritime University, Gdynia, Poland
ABSTRACT: In order to face current challenges, cities need to introduce and enhance resilient, sustainable and
innovative decarbonisation policies and strategies. This also includes coastal urban areas, suffering from
particularly heavy congestion, where local and regional authorities and other stakeholders should promote novel
environmental-friendly, socially accepted and economically effective mobility patterns. Thus, the paper presents
urban waterborne transport development prerequisites and conditions taking as a case study Gdynia located at
the Baltic Sea in Poland. Its aim is to explore the tailor-made possibilities and solutions to create a ferry connection
recommended in order to enhance sustainable and innovative mobility in the analysed city port area. The study
focused on the selected variants investigating possibilities for allowing vessels with alternative fuels, appropriate
length and draft parameters to approach existing locations. The paper is based on scientific papers, available
industry reports, feasibility studies, urban policies and cities current experiences in planning and operating water
transport. Urban waterborne transport development requires an interdisciplinary and multilevel perspective and
approach so that future urban strategies contain a complex set of goals and actions to be successfully implemented
by decision makers.
http://www.transnav.eu
the International Journal
on Marine Navigation
and Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 19
Number 1
March 2025
DOI: 10.12716/1001.19.01.21
176
rest of the area. The specific situation of Gdynia causes
congestion on the roads and the creation of critical
points that affect means of transport. Implementing a
city ferry crossing at the very beginning of the port
canal would allow for the creation of an alternative
route leading to the northern districts. The paper
presents urban water transport development
prerequisites and conditions taking as a case study
Gdynia located at the Baltic Sea in Poland. Its aim is to
explore the tailor-made possibilities and solutions to
create a ferry connection recommended in order to
enhance sustainable and innovative mobility in the
analysed city port area. The study focused on the
selected variants investigating possibilities for
allowing vessels with alternative fuels, appropriate
length and draft parameters to approach existing
locations. Based on the analysis carried out, three
variants of the creation of the crossing were proposed
in the work.
2 WATERBORNE TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT
TENDENCIES WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON
THE FERRY CONNECTIONS
While according to Eurostat inland waterways
transport represents only 6% of the modal split in the
EU, it presents better results regarding accidents, air
and noise pollution, effects on climate, and congestion.
At the same time, in some countries as The
Netherlands, where the inland waterways network is
developed, its share reaches 40%. The EU has
recognised the importance of a modal shift from road
hauling to railways and inland waterways transport.
With the European Green Deal [11], the European
Commission aims to shift part of the current
roadhauled goods to more sustainable inland transport
[12].
The construction of transportation infrastructure is
based on two fundamental factors shaping and
limiting its development: the demand for the
movement of people or cargo, and the terrain, which is
in the line of the selected location routes. Demand for
movement, shapes the search for connections between
points, in turn, the relief and type of terrain affect the
connections that are formed [13][16].
The same factors also influence the development of
waterborne transport, including ferry connections.
According to the definition, a ferry crossing is a way of
moving people, cars, trains and cargo by ferry, between
fixed points of loading and unloading. Ferry crossing,
depending on the type of body of water, can be carried
out using sea ferries, inland ferries or smaller vessels
[17]. A ferry is a water vessel used to transport people
and cargo across canals, seas, reservoirs or rivers. The
ferry is usually moved by self-propulsion or is pulled
by means of a hanging rope [18][22].
In the context of the analysis of the city's
transportation network, the greatest demand for ferry
service will arise in agglomerations located at the sea,
in the estuary and along the natural course of rivers, or
in the area of the extensive canal network. It is
uneconomic to create freight connections within the
city. Ferry solutions are mainly designed to facilitate
the movement of pedestrians, cyclists and public
transport passengers within the city. Often introduced
ferry solutions in cities become a curiosity for tourists
to enjoy [23][27] .
The project to create a ferry service (urban or
marine/interland) will always raise many questions
and doubts, due to the huge financial outlay needed to
make the crossing operational. A properly operating
crossing needs a minimum of two terminals, a vessel
and an entity responsible for maintaining the line.
These are huge costs that must be incurred for the new
link to take off. Only then can it be verified in practice
whether the studies and predictions were accurate.
Adequate research that most likely replicates the
demand for the crossing requires the assumption of
basic scopes that must be examined:
economic efficiency (profitability),
crossing time,
number of ports and terminals,
route load/demand,
investment costs [25][28].
Vessels operating on urban ferry services are
generally small in size, about 22-24 meters, and the
routes on which they operate are a few hundred meters
at most. The short distance, the relatively small number
of passengers and the convenient water conditions
have a positive effect on the level of safety
requirements, the fulfilment of which does not pose
additional problems, providing a cost-optimal vessel
that, thanks to the open space and freedom of
movement on board, will provide a comfortable
journey for passengers. With the assumption of serving
only pedestrian and bicycle passengers, favorable
conditions will be created for the use of modern electric
or hybrid units [32][35]. These two types of units have
gained a great deal of popularity in recent years thanks
to the extraordinary development of batteries and
rechargeable batteries. Fast charging stations at the
shore, efficient and capacious batteries ensure the
possibility of a trouble-free, environmentally friendly
application of these types of units on urban ferry
routes. Societal pressure, which exerts great influence
to use electric ferries as often as possible, plays a huge
role in planning connections. In cases where there is a
high intensity of operation that makes it difficult to
recharge batteries or there are financial barriers,
hybrid-powered units are being used in ferry service
[36][42].
There are some logistics advantages of passenger
inland ferries. In Norwegian Bergen it concerns remote
parking terminals, saving significant travel distance
and cut the cost of crew facilities in terminals [43].
These solutions are also a promising future in Russia
[44] and in Germany [[46]. Some researchers combine
autonomous transport with zero-emission ferries as a
better option for sustainable urban mobility [25]. There
are numerous benefits of sustainable ferries for urban
mobility: increasing public transport network
connectivity, reduced travel distance, and fostering
modal shifts towards foot travel and bike riding [23].
However, some important questions arise from a
legal perspective in view of a complete operational
implementation of autonomous inland waterways
transport. The allocation of liability, including
extracontractual one, is an important concern for
shipowners wanting to invest in autonomous vessels,
and for other stakeholders. That is why, a balanced risk
177
distribution framework could boost the investment
decision [45][42]-[47].
Also, the autonomous vessel elaborated by MIT
scientists Roboat II (fig. 2) is designed to carry
passengers for urban mobility [47], [48].
Figure 1 Mechanical design of the Roboat prototype [49].
In Paris, for example, four 15-meter-long 100%
electric boats, worth 1.3 million each, sail at a speed of
20 km/h and can accommodate many passengers. This
operation has been carried out in the framework of the
organization of the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
These shuttles operate completely autonomously. A
captain and sailors are to be present on board just to
ensure that everything goes smoothly.
The tab. 1 presents a summary of selected examples
of electrification of ferry vessels. Several of them are
also autonomous units and it can be expected that the
number of autonomous ferry connections will only
increase. In Europe, Norway is leading the way, being
very consistent in the electrification of ferry
connections in particular, and at the same time having
a number of projects underway to introduce
autonomous units [49].
Table 1 Characteristics of selected examples of electrification
and/or autonomous ferry vessels
Operating area
Characteristics of the vessel
Lorient
i Pen-Mané
(France)
length: 22 m,passenger seats:
113;
cargo capacity: 10 bicycles, 3
wheelchairs
propulsion: supercapacitors;
running time: 7 min;
loading time: 4 min
Paris Seine
(France)
length: 22 m; operation was
carried out in the framework of
the organization of the
Olympic Games in Paris in
2024; 4 ex.
autonomous electric ferry,
autonomous mooring
Stockholm:
Movitz Ferry
Sweden)
cruises in the
summer season
after deep modernization;
length: 23 m;
passenger seats: 100; speed: 16
km/h
el. drive: 2x125 kW, battery
capacity: 180 kWh
operating time: 1 h; charging
time: 10 min
Stockholm:
Sjovagen Ferry
(Sweden)
frequency:
8 sailings per day
(10 stops);
cruise time: 50 min
passenger seats: 150; cargo
capacity: 15 bicycles,
6 wheelchairs and 8 baby
carriages
el. drive: 2x160 kW; battery
capacity: 500 kWh;
charging at night and 2 times
during the day
Stockholm
(Kungsholmen -
Soedermalm)
several minutes
length: 12 m; passenger seats:
30
autonomous electric ferry,
propulsion system driven by
electricity supplied via
onboard solar panels
Amsterdam
(Netherlands)
cruise time: 5 min
length: 34 m; passenger seats:
310;
cargo capacity: bicycles and
mopeds
Diesel propulsion: 4x133 kW;
el. drive: 2x250 kW;
battery capacity: 2x68 kWh
Kaohsiung
(Taiwan)
distance: 650 m
frequency
every 15 minutes
refurbished; length: 23 m
Diesel propulsion: 2x225 kW;
electric drive: 130 kW (direct
current);battery capacity: 100
kWh
London:
Woolwich
-North
Woolwich
(United
Kingdom)
cruise time: 5 min
2 ex.; length: 62 m; passenger
seats: 150;
cargo capacity: 45 passenger
cars
hybrid propulsion; battery
capacity: 181 kWh
Trondheim
(Norway)
distance: 100 m
length: 8-10 m;
loading capacity: 12 persons,
bicycles and wheelchairs
electric propulsion: 4x4 kW
autonomous ferry under
construction
Fredrikstad
(Norway)
Medium ferry (50 PAX) New
electric ferry delivered in June
2019. Evaluating future
autonomous operation.
Oslo
(Norway)
A large number of medium-
sized passenger ferries are in
use already
Copenhagen
(Denmark)
Daily working
hours:
16 h
5 Damen Ferry 2306 E3 vessels;
length: 23 m;
Passenger seats: 80; cargo
capacity: 8 bicycles
Electric drive: 2x55 kW; battery
capacity: 120 kWh;
loading at end stops: 7 min
each
Kiel
(Germany)
length: 31.57 m; passenger
seats: 30; (Source:)
Hybrid ferry, battery capacity:
340 kWh;
Source: own elaboration based on: [49-57] and other
available data.
178
3 GDYNIA PORT CITY TRANSPORT NETWORK
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES
Gdynia is a city located in Poland and is one of three
cities in the Tricity agglomeration. In 2022, Gdynia had
a population of 242 000, and the city's area was 135
square kilometers. The location of the city, not
coincidentally, was chosen about 100 years ago because
of the need to build a port and shipyard on the Bay of
Gdansk. The harbor channel, visible in Figure 1, cuts
deeply into the land, separating the city into two parts.
Currently, there is no bridge over the port channel and
no ferry crossing. The only way to get from one side of
the canal to the other is to drive around. In Gdynia in
2022, the ratio of passenger vehicles per 1,000 residents
was almost 700. This is a very high number that
directly affects urban transport system sustainability
resulting in road congestion, air quality and travel time
[58].
The analysis requires taking into account the
structure of two districts: the Oksywie and
Śródmieście. Oksywie is located north of the harbor
channel. The area of the district is 4.37 square
kilometers and the area has a population of 14 376. It is
a district with mainly residential buildings in the area.
Figure 2 Situation plan of the analyzed connection between
the districts of Gdynia: Oksywie and Śródmieście Source:
Own based on Obliview Gdynia
The district is home to infrastructure of strategic
importance to the state, the land along the port channel
belongs to the Navy. In the military areas there is a
naval port, a naval shipyard and the Naval Academy.
There are also points of tourist and recreational
importance in this district: the seaside promenade and
the beach.
The Śródmieście district, on the other hand, is
located in the central part of the city and south of the
harbor channel. The district has a population of 11,556
and an area of 11.49 square kilometers. The district's
areas are characterized by a wide range of uses,
including residential areas, service and office
development, and industrial and shipyard areas. It is
within this district that the harbor channel is located.
Śródmieście is home to infrastructure elements
important to residents traveling to other areas of the
city, province and country. There is a train station, a
commuter rail station and a bus station.
It is worth mentioning about the plans to introduce
passenger traffic on the rail line running through the
Oksywie district. After adjusting the line to handle
agglomeration traffic, the route from Oksywie would
connect with the current SKM train line at the level of
the Gdynia Chylonia stop. Such a connection is a
solution whose implementation is needed and
beneficial. However, the creation of a rail connection
does not interfere with the ferry crossing project under
construction, due to the fact that the line reaches the
city center in a rather wide arc, and for some travelers
a direct ferry to Downtown will be a more attractive
means of transportation. The ferry service could even
interact with the rail line. Travelers from nearby
neighborhoods along the line, could be bused to the
ferry. Likewise, travelers from the ferry would have the
option of transferring to a train for onward travel. The
train stop is a short distance from the ferry's conceptual
solutions.
The idea for the creation of the Gdynia Śródmieście
- Gdynia Oksywie ferry crossing is intended as a
starting point for further analysis, the end goal of
which would be to create an alternative way for
residents of Oksywie and neighboring districts in the
municipalities to travel on this route. The problems
described earlier, resulting from the harbor canal
entering Gdynia, mean that the resulting solution
could become an alternative to road connections and
influence an increase in the share of sustainable modes
of transportation in urban travel. A direct, short
connection could encourage residents to continue their
journey using public transportation, bicycles or to
cover part of the trip on foot. This section proposes
several variants of routes and locations in which a ferry
crossing could operate for residents between Gdynia
Śródmieście and Gdynia Oksywie.
Touching on the previously mentioned elements
that need to be defined when creating a plan, they start
with economic efficiency. The crossing will certainly
have to be maintained as part of the city's public
transportation network. Operating costs will
significantly affect the city's budget. A solution should
be sought that will affect the authority's finances as
little as possible. The vessel should be lightweight,
small and have low electricity consumption. Due to the
short distances to be traveled, the ferry will be able to
be electrically powered and recharged while stationary
at terminals. The passenger vessel should take on
board passengers on foot, cyclists, baby carriages,
cargo bicycles and wheelchair users. A positive aspect
that would encourage additional passengers would be
the possibility of bringing scooters and mopeds on
board the ferry. Due to the prevailing weather
conditions, to ensure the comfort of the trip, there
should be an enclosed section on the vessel where
passengers can stay during crossings in winter, rains or
during strong winds.
Another aspect is the crossing time, which should
be as short as possible to attract potential passengers as
much as possible. It should be a crossing that allows
quick movement, not a tourist ferry to view the port
from the water. Depending on the location of the
terminals, the crossing time will be affected more or
179
less by the traffic of other vessels in the port. It is to be
expected that larger vessels will take precedence over
a small passenger ferry. A ferry on this route should
exhibit high maneuverability and dynamic movement
in order to take advantage of the windows that appear
between other, larger vessels. Necessary to indicate is
the number of ports and terminals. The route will
include two terminals where the vessel will have its
stops. One of the harbors should be designed to ensure
that the vessel can safely stop at night. Defining the
demand and load of the connection is another
important element of the concept. Assuming that the
chosen route will be attractive from the point of view
of a potential passenger, one should expect increased
demand for travel during the morning and afternoon
hours from Monday to Friday. During weekday
evenings and weekends, those using the crossing will
be tourists and locals who go to the center to spend
their leisure time. On weekends, especially those with
favorable weather conditions, traffic may be increased,
but spread evenly throughout the day. Increased
marketing efforts should be made to promote among
residents the use of the crossing for more than just
recreational purposes. It is advisable to create a
program to encourage travelers to make regular trips.
An important factor that defines the emergence of
investment is investment costs. The scale of the project
and the momentum make it virtually impossible to
finance the investment with municipal funds alone.
The cost of purchasing a vessel, adapting and building
terminals and operating facilities will run into the
millions. Funding for the investment should be sought
from the central budget or external subsidies, such as
EU funds for the development of sustainable transport
in cities. Investment with private funds is practically
impossible due to the subsequent lack of return on
investment. The northern part of Gdynia is a lot of
undeveloped areas that will develop rapidly in the
near future, especially the residential part. The already
existing barriers and bottlenecks in the transportation
system exert a strong pressure to create alternative
connections, such as a ferry service or the launch of
light rail. Both solutions can work together to provide
a loop in the public transportation network.
4 CONCEPT OF A NOVEL FERRY CONNECTION
IN GDYNIA CITY PORT
In this section, 6 variants with varying degrees of
reference to the existing condition at the location have
been presented. When designing a ferry crossing in a
city, it is important to keep in mind the previously
mentioned factors that will significantly affect the
variants: economic efficiency, crossing time, number of
ports/terminals, route loading and investment costs.
Due to the complexity of the process and the lack of
detailed data on, for example, the cost of building a
ship, some elements of the concept will be addressed to
a lesser extent. A key element affecting the concepts to
varying degrees will be the exclusionary areas
established by the Minister of Defense. The excluded
area includes the Naval Academy, the Naval Port
Gdynia and part of the port basins located at wharves
used by the Navy. On each of the variants, the scope
has been placed in green closed terytory of Naval Port.
In addition, the projected construction of the Outer
Harbor is an extremely important element. In the case
of two variants (I and III), the expansion of the port
here will be crucial to extending the route of the
projected ferry line.
An introduction is necessary before starting the
analysis of options. The starting and ending points are
marked in a special way:
Point A1, is a point on the Pomorskie quay, in the
absolute heart of Downtown (also called
Śródmieście), most convenient for passengers on
foot,
Point A2, is an intermediate point between the BCT
terminal and the Navy Port (which is a restricted
zone). Performing passenger access in this mijecu
would be a very convenient option for direct access
to the Śmidowicza street for residents of the
Oksywie district without the need for another
means of transportation,
Point A3, is a point at the end of the Helskie Quay
in the direct location of the Kwiatkowski Estacade,
from here travelers would be able to transfer to go
further towards the northern districts of Gdynia,
including Obłuże and Pogórze,
Point B1, is a point in the vicinity of the Marine
Station in Gdynia, at the Fińskie Quay in the
immediate vicinity of the Ferry Terminal (therefore
having the necessary hydro-technical
infrastructure), however, it is a place somewhat
distant from the strict center of Downtown and
requiring the choice of another means of transport
to get here from the center of Gdynia,
Point B2, is a point at the site of the Babie Doły ferry
terminal, which does not currently exist, but is
essential for the various variants of the proposed
routes.
Means of transportation included in the analysis are
as follows:
inland passenger ferry; example units with
technical dimensions and possible number of
passengers to be transported, units powered by
electricity or hydrogen fuel, andt about the ptencial
possibilities of using autonomous units;
inland passenger-car ferry; examples of units, along
with technical dimensions and the number of
passengers and cars that can be carried.
Table 2 presents the most important information on
the details of the proposed routes and the type of units
serving each alternative. Hence, the following
description of each alternative focuses only on the
functional and spatial analysis of each alternative.
Variant I, is the concept that appears to be the most
attractive from the point of view of a passenger
traveling exclusively by public transportation (Fig. 3).
The route begins at Pomorskie Quay, in the center of
Downtown Gdynia, while it ends at Helskie Quay in
the vicinity of the Kwiatkowski route, and would be an
excellent transfer point for passengers heading toward
Oksywie or the neighboring districts of northern
Gdynia. At the same time, an intermediate stop is
planned along the route. Serving passengers from the
Oksywie districts, allowing faster passage in the
direction of the Oksywie district center. This
connection effectively avoids traffic jams and saves
time at the level of about 30 minutes. The essential
element of this variant is the possibility of direct
transport from the center of Downtown to the Oksywie
180
district analyzed in the work. At the same time, it is a
variant in which transport is carried out by a small
vessel designed exclusively for the transportation of
passengers and, what is extremely important, it is a
variant that does not take into account the planned
expansion of the Port of Gdynia by the External Port,
which will soon take place. So where did the idea to
introduce such a variant come from? Especially since
one must be aware that after a short time this variant
will not be possible to implement? Well, according to
the Authors, it would be an excellent opportunity to
promote this mode of transport and get people used to
the fact that sea transport in a port city is an ordinary
way of covering a certain distance, which can be used
interchangeably with land transport. After the
construction of the Outer Harbor, maintaining this
connection would lose its sense due to significantly
increasing distances, and would naturally have to be
replaced with the route presented in options: IV, V and
VI. In these variants, the beginning of the route is
planned in the vicinity of the Marine Station in Gdynia
and by the ferry crossing currently in use.
Figure 3. Variant I - passenger ferry from Pomorskie Quay
towards Kwiatkowski Estacada, a variant that does not take
into account the planned expansion of the Port of Gdynia by
the Outer Port Source own work based on SIPAM
Variant II, is a proposed passenger-car train service,
along the lines of the crossings operating for many
years in Swinoujscie, details of which the Reader can
find, for example, in [A]. The beginning of the crossing,
is the terminal at the Marine Station, and the end stop
the authors proposed in the Babie Doły location. In this
case, a ferry stop would have to be designed at this
location. Such a passenger-car crossing would
significantly relieve traffic along Kwiatkowskiego
Estakada, but would require significant financial
outlays necessary to build hydro-technical
infrastructure for the designed ferry terminal and to
prepare a waterway to the terminal providing
adequate depths for a passenger-car ferry. Variant II is
independent of the construction of the External Port
and can be implemented at any time.
Variant III is a combination of the above two
variants and can be implemented under the same
conditions as the above two variants. So where did the
idea for such a solution come from? It would be a
comprehensive solution, enabling a complete
improvement of transport accessibility to the northern
districts of Gdynia. It would be an opportunity to
change the habits of passengers and indicate the
possibility of choosing the best transport connection
from the two proposed in this variant.
Figure 4. Variant II - passenger-car ferry from the Fińśkie
Quay in the vicinity of the Marine Station, towards Babie
Doły Marina, non-dependent variant of the planned
expansion of the Port of Gdynia with the External Port Source
own work based on SIPAM
Figure 5. Variant III - a variant combining the above two
variants, taking into account both the passenger ferry from
Pomorskie Quay in the direction of Kwiatkowski Estacada
and the passenger-car ferry from the Finnish Wharf in the
vicinity of the Marine Station, in the direction of Babie Doły
Marina, a variant that does not take into account the planned
expansion of the Port of Gdynia by the Outer Port Source
own work based on SIPAM
Variant IV, is the option that assumes the existence
of the External Port. The construction of the Outer Port
in Gdynia naturally removes Variant I from the option.
Instead, a solution is proposed in which the beginning
of the passenger crossing will be in the vicinity of the
Marine Station in Gdynia. At the same time, the
introduction of two routes is assumed, but only as a
passenger connection. Thus, it is assumed that the first
route has a beginning in the vicinity of the Marine
Station in Gdynia, and then runs along the Helskie
quay until the end of the Port Canal in the vicinity of
Kwiatkowski Estacada, and the second route, which
also has a beginning in the vicinity of the Marine
Station, but would lead to Babie Doły marina, the
assumptions of which are presented in the description
of Variants II and III. The authors assume that
launching a new means of transportation on only one
route and to a rather limited extent, is not a sufficiently
adequate motivation to change the route choice habits
of Gdynia residents. Therefore, if a decision were to be
made to introduce a new means of public transport, it
is worth considering the proposal of route choice by a
potential passenger. It is worth mentioning at this
point that, unlike a car-passenger crossing, a
passenger-only ferry requires less depth both on the
approach track and in the harbor itself.
181
Figure 6. Variant IV - two independent routes of passenger
ferry connections are proposed, both having their beginning
at the Fińskie Quay in the vicinity of the Marine Station,the
first route in the direction of Kwiatkowski Estakada, and the
road in the direction of Babie Doły Marina, the variant taking
into account the planned expansion of the Port of Gdynia
with the External Port Source own work based on SIPAM
Variant V, shown in Figure 7, on the other hand, is
a combination of the two above-mentioned routes into
a single, albeit significantly longer, route. At the same
time, only a passenger crossing is designed here. The
proposed variant basically assumes only the beginning
of the route (in the vicinity of the Marine Station) and
making a loop along the port channel and Babie Doły
marina. Why would such a variant serve? It is mainly
about the distribution of passenger stops and
minimizing the required vessels. At any one time, one
vessel would be enough to serve the route instead of
the necessary two in the previous variant.
Figure 7. Variant V - one extended route served by a
passenger ferry is proposed, starting at the Finnish Quay in
the vicinity of the Marine Station, and then leading through
the Port Channel to the route towards the Kwiatkowski
Estacada, and the road towards the Babie Doły Marina, a
variant taking into account the planned expansion of the Port
of Gdynia with the External Port Source own work based on
SIPAM
The last of the proposed solutions, Variant VI, is
also a variation on the previous ones. Firstly, it assumes
the existence of the External Port, hence the beginning
of the route in the vicinity of the Marine Station,
secondly two types of ferries: passenger and car ferries,
and thirdly it assumes the construction of a marina in
Gdynia Babie Boły. With a proper promotional
campaign, especially with the introduction of a ferry
connection from Downtown Gdynia, such a variant
could prove to be a very good solution, permanently
changing the lives of Gdynia's residents.
Table 2, Specification of analyzed variants with respect to route length, number of stops, type of unit
Conditions
Variants
Variant I
Fig. 3
Variant II
Fig. 4
Variant III
Fig. 5
Variant IV
Fig. 6
Variant V
Fig. 7
Variant VI
Fig. 8
Consideration of the
construction of the Outer
Port
NO
YES
Route
A1 Kosciuszko
Square (Helskie
quay)/
A2 Boundary of
the MW Port and
BCT Terminal
(Helskie quay/
A3 Helskie quay at
Kwiatkowski
estacada
B1 Maritime
Station (Fińskie
Quay)/.
B2 Babie Doły
Marina
A1 Kosciuszko
Square (Helskie
quay)/
A2 Boundary of
the MW Port and
BCT Terminal
(Helskie quay/
A3 Helskie quay at
Kwiatkowski
estacada
B1 Maritime
Station (Finskie
quay)/ A2
Boundary of the
MW Port and BCT
Terminal (Helskie
quay)/ A3 Helskie
quay at
Kwiatkowski
estacada
B1 Maritime
Station (Finskie
quay)/ A2
Boundary of the
MW Port and BCT
Terminal (Helskie
quay)/ A3 Helskie
quay at
Kwiatkowski
estacada
B2 Babie Doły
Marina
B1 Maritime
Station (Finskie
quay)/ A2
Boundary of the
MW Port and BCT
Terminal (Helskie
quay)/ A3 Helskie
quay at
Kwiatkowski
estacada
B1 Maritime
Station (Fińskie
Quay)/.
B2 Babie Doły
Marina
B1 Maritime
Station (Fińskie
Quay)/.
B2 Babie Doły
Marina
B1 Maritime
Station (Fińskie
Quay)/.
B2 Babie Doły
Marina
Distance approx.
6,5 km
4,5 km
1. 6,5 km
2. 4,5 km
3.8 km
4.5 km
13,4 km
3.8 km
4.5 km
Number of stops
3
2
3/2
2/2
4
3/2
Passenger Ferry/Water
Tram
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
Passenger-vehicle ferry
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
Number of vessels
1
1
2
2
1
2
frequency of crossing /
per day
24
12
24
12
24
18
36
24
12
Number of pasengers
100
400
100
400
100
100
100
100
400
Number of cars
0
0
60
0
0
60
Source: own elaboration
182
Figure 8. Variant VI taking into account both the passenger
ferry from the Fińskie Quay towards Kwiatkowski Estacada
and the passenger-car ferry from the Quay, towards Babie
Doły Marina, a variant taking into account the planned
expansion of the Port of Gdynia with the Outer Port Source
own work based on SIPAM
The limitation of this analysis is a lack of a decent
identification of funding sources and the definition of
a management model. Also, future research should
concentrate on the need to use the CBA method as
necessary to assess the economic efficiency of
implementing such a project.
5 CONCLUSIONS
The intention of the Authors was to indicate the
possibility of using a floating ship as a means of
transportation that could improve transport links
between the northern districts of Gdynia, including
primarily the Obłuże district. Variants I and III do not
include the construction of the Outer Port in their
assumption. In this situation, they could be applied in
the short term. The construction of the Outer Port
would force a longer route, which in effect, both in
terms of economics and increased crossing time, would
make the crossing unprofitable. However, it has been
included in the considerations, since the construction
of the Outer Port has not yet begun, and from the point
of view of the attractiveness of the project, it is the
stopping of autonomous units and the transport of
passengers by these units from the Pomorskie quay, in
principle from the center of Śródmieście, that would be
the most convenient solution. Variant II and Variants
IV and VI include a passenger-car crossing, which in
essence does not change whether it remains the only
proposal or is an additional option to accompany the
passenger crossing.
At present, the most likely solutions to be
implemented are Variants IV-VI. Variant IV proposes
two independent routes: the first in the direction of
Kwiatkowski estacada with a stop at the border of the
Navy Port and BCT Terminal, and the second in the
direction of Babie Doły Marina. Of course, both would
have their beginning in the vicinity of the Maritime
Station , it is proposed to start at the site of the Finkie
Quay. The hydrotechnical infrastructure is ready there,
and adequate depths at the wharf are also provided.
Analyzing the aspect of hydrotechnical infrastructure,
both A1 (Maritime Station or Kosciuszko Square), as
well as A2 (Helskie quay at the border of BCT and MW)
and A3 (Helskie quay at Kwiatkowski estacada), have
ready and adequate technical infrastructure, as well as
depths at the quay. In contrast, the situation is different
for the Babie Doły marina. Here it would be necessary
to build a berth for both a passenger-car vessel and a
passenger vessel. Moreover, given the existing depths,
it would also be necessary to carry out dredging work
on the leachate leading to the marina.
Already in 2021 the Vice-mayor for economic affairs
(and current Vice-President for Finance and Asset
Management of Port of Gdynia Authority) revealed
that city of Gdynia was thinking not only about
hydrogen public transport solutions, but also about a
water tram running between the districts and
decongesting the city port area in this way. However,
there are some concerns about the feasibility of
implementing them: technical, techonological,
managerial and also financial ones. Also, the local
authorities and higher education institutions show the
involvement in this respect. Subsequently, at Gdynia
Maritime University (GMU) premises a meeting with
participation of public transport representatives,
LOTOS petrochemical company and other key
stakeholders was organised to discuss possibilities to
launch such a hydrogen ferry connection and
eventually an autonomous one in future. Finally, more
research is required to evaluate the full picture and to
propose solutions allowing seamless implementation
of waterborne transport connections, including low-
emissions and autonomous ones [59], in the modern
seaport agglomerations.
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