Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Mayor asks staff to explore coastal ferry partnership; community speakers raise equity and ridership questions
Loading...
Summary
Mayor Richardson presented a Peer to Peer coastal‑ferry proposal to link Long Beach to other coastal cities for regional transit and event service; the council directed staff to engage with the group and Harbor Breeze, while public commenters pressed for an equity lens and local job and transit integration.
Mayor Rex Richardson introduced a proposal on April 7 to have the city formally engage with Peer to Peer, a nonprofit proposing a regional coastal-ferry network and water‑taxi service to connect Long Beach with other coastal destinations ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
Patricia Keeney Maishas, chairwoman of Peer to Peer, described proposed routes that would link Long Beach, San Pedro, Marina del Rey, Santa Monica and Malibu, highlighted Harbor Breeze as an operating partner and said the initiative would pursue public‑private financing, federal and state grants and coordination with emergency‑management agencies. She framed the plan as both a regional transportation option and an emergency-evacuation asset.
Councilmembers expressed broad support for exploring the idea and emphasized the need to tie the regional service to local transit and to an equity analysis. One councilmember suggested Alameda Bay and additional local stops be considered. Mayor Richardson said staff engagement would be exploratory and that any service would likely be operated by external partners rather than being city‑run.
Public commenters offered a mix of support and skepticism. Harbor Breeze representatives and the company founder emphasized local workforce benefits and the operator’s long history in Long Beach; other speakers urged an equity lens and asked whether public investments could disproportionately benefit waterfront neighborhoods. A resident raised concerns about whether a ferry would materially reduce highway congestion and asked how the project would affect less‑resourced neighborhoods.
The council voted to direct staff to more formally engage with Peer to Peer, evaluate potential partnerships and report back. The motion carried.
