Public infrastructure in the Seaport continues to catch up to the growing local and commuter populations.

The Seaport Transportation Management Association (TMA), in partnership with the City of Boston, has launched a commuter ferry connecting North Station to the South Boston Waterfront. The service is designed to ease congestion by closing a gap in last mile transportation that discourages many Seaport commuters from using public transportation.

The ferry departs from Lovejoy Wharf at North Station and docks at Pier 10 in the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, offering commuters and visitors a direct, 15-minute ride across Boston Harbor. For those working in the rapidly developing Marine Park, where office, lab, and industrial uses are expanding, the ferry marks the most direct connection to and from North Station.

Patrick Sullivan, executive director of the Seaport TMA, said the project was years in the making. The city and the TMA were looking to get ahead of new zoning that would bring more office jobs to the Marine Park.

“Back in January of 2020, we convened a group of property owners and employers that have a presence in the Flynn Marine Park to talk about some of the access challenges,” Sullivan said. “We had just come off the success of the Lovejoy Wharf to Fan Pier ferry service, so it was a pretty obvious choice for those around the table that a ferry would be the ideal connection to get people from North Station on a one-seat ride out to the Marine Park.”

The TMA partnered with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and the City of Boston to study potential landing sites.

Pier 10, which is owned by the city, emerged as the clear choice, but “The biggest challenge we faced was the fact that there wasn’t a dock for us to connect to out in the Marine Park,” Sullivan said.

The TMA raised funds from private donors and member organizations to draft plans for the dock, which they took to the city.

“Ultimately, the city used dollars from the capital budget to help fund the construction of the dock, and meanwhile the TMA raised funds from that group of employers and property owners to fund the actual operating costs,” Sullivan said.

The city contributed $2.5 million for the construction of the dock and the TMA has also received a $400,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to help cover initial operations. Sullivan said that the grant covers a third of the first year’s operating costs and will keep the ferry moving while the service trends toward self-sufficiency.

Operating costs are covered primarily by TMA member organizations, major employers and property owners in the Seaport, who wanted to ensure reliable access for their workforce. Employees of those member companies can ride the ferry for free, while the general public can purchase tickets for $5 per trip.

Sullivan pointed to the success of previous projects to demonstrate the potential provided by the new ferry. He said that the North Station to Fan Pier ferry program that began in 2019 helped local businesses eliminate between eight to ten shuttle buses, and the new ferry is expected to reduce the need by another four to five.

It’s harder to measure how many single vehicle commuters transition to public transit, but such commuters often express frustration with that last mile connection as a major factor discouraging them from making their commute with public transit.

The ferry is open year round, Monday through Friday during the morning and evening commutes. The TMA is looking into funding that would expand the hours of operation throughout the day and weekends.