An ad hoc committee will recommend that The Woodlands Convention & Visitor Bureau take over operations of The Woodlands Waterway water taxis.
The recommendation will be presented to The Woodlands Township at its meeting on Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. The ad hoc committee includes township board members Nelda Luce Blair, Peggy Hausman and Kemba DeGroot.
“There will be a recommendation from The Woodland Waterway Taxi Committee to accept ownership and operation of the boats,” said Nelda Luce Blair, chairwoman of the township as well as the ad hoc committee.
The water taxis, owned by The Woodlands Land Development Co. and managed by The District, are operating at a $240,000 annual deficit.
By turning operations over to a private, non-profit entity like the convention bureau, the taxis may be eligible for federal funds of up to 40 percent of the hourly costs and up to 80 percent for administration and marketing costs, Barry Goodman, president of The Goodman Corporation, a transportation consultant, told the convention and visitors bureau in May.
In addition to consider the fate of the water taxi, the township board will vote on a contract for up to $100,000 for the Goodman Corp. that would provide a strategic action plan for the water taxis as well as the expansion of the Town Center trolleys to the village center. The Goodman Corp. also would handle reporting requirement for The Woodlands federal grant for the operation of the trolleys in Town Center.
The Goodman Corp. has been working with the township on transportation issues and has helped get federal grants for the community, including maintenance facilities for water taxi and commuter buses.
Under the Goodman proposal, operations of the water taxi would transition to the Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau during the first six months of 2010. To accomplish this, Goodman would help develop a fiscal and operations plan for the water taxis, which may include a reduced schedule, pursuit of federal capital cost reimbursement, completion of a maintenance facility, and an evaluation of improvements needs, such as upgrading equipment, signs and ticketing.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau included $100,000 in its 2010 budget for water taxis.
Also as part of its contract, the company will develop a ridership estimate and operations plan for extending the trolley service to the village centers. The company will interview business and visitors at village center to see if they would use the trolley system. Goodman also will pursue federal funding for this project
In addition to transportation issue, the township board also will consider a second increase for The Strong Firm to handle the transfers of assets and contracts between The Community Associations of The Woodlands and The Woodlands Township.
The Strong firm requested another $24,000 for additional legal work needed to complete the real estate and contract transfers, which would bring his contract up to $90,000.
“As a real estate lawyer, it is not unusually to find layer on top of layer for these transfers,” Blair said. “He (Bret Strong) has done an incredible job in helping with the transfers.”
Town Center Public Transportation Options
The Woodlands Town Center offers trolley and water taxis in the central business district. Following is information on both services.
Water Taxi
The District, a regional transportation agency, operates six water taxis along the Woodland Waterway between The Woodlands Mall and Town Green Park. The cost of an all-day pass is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children, seniors and people with disabilities. The boats currently operate on the following scheduled and are closed for New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Monday thru Thursday - 11:00 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.
Friday - 11:00 a.m. until 9:45 p.m.
Saturday - 11:00 a.m. until 10:45 p.m.
Sunday - 11:00 a.m. until 8:45 p.m.
Town Center Trolleys
The District also operates free trolley services in the Town Center area, which stops at Landry’s, Anadarko, Woodloch Forest Drive at the Waterway bridge, Waterway Square, Waterway Avenue, The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park, Community Center/South Montgomery County Library, Central Park at Market Street,
H-E-B at Market Street, and The Woodlands Mall
Monday thru Saturday, 11 am to 8 pm
Sunday, 12 pm to 6pm
Source: The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau
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Comments
Get rid of the taxi's and the trolley's
What a boondoggle. Both the taxi's and the trolley's serve only the area's around the mall (i.e. the businesses). They are operating at a 250,000 deficit (taxi's alone), the trolley's are probably the same or worse.
What business would continue to operate these? Answer, None. Would an investory put his money into either of these operations? Answer: No way.
So the plan is to shift them to a non-profit and then go running to the Govt. for a grant (i.e. BAILOUT). Just where does this grant money come from? OUR TAXES. Really, Nelda, do you think we are stupid?
Surprise, Goodman is going to get a contract with the Township now too, to the tune of 100,000. Betcha nothing went on behind closed doors to ensure that the "report" on the taxi's said what Nelda wanted it to say.
We don't want the The Developer's poorly contrived and poorly run taxi business. The only reason it exists is to provide nice photo's for the convention buerau and a cheap (for the mall) way to move people around to come and shop.
If these things cannot self support then they dont need to exist at all.
Water Taxi
In about 3 years, I would like to check in to operating the water taxi part time.
I might be wrong, but that's just my opinion.
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