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Some of the main concerns of the study are:
- Safety of passing vessels, particularly small craft
- Impact to vessels in exposed and partially-protected dock areas and marinas
- Safety of passengers unloading from other ferries at harbor terminals
- Damage to bulkheads and other shoreline structures
- Erosion of natural shorelines and wetlands
- Biological impacts on offshore kelp beds and clam beds
 The waves generated by high-speed craft are in general not very large compared to storm waves. However the high occurrence due to regular ferry service over a long period of time can cause disturbance to marinas, shoreline and seabed, in particular in shelter bays, channels and sounds. Also, to realize the full potential of high-speed ferries in satisfying the urban transportation needs, it is necessary for ferry vessels to maintain a high-speed for as long as possible between the origin and destination points. When the operating zones happen to be in close proximity to shores/banks and other water users, as is the case most often in urban harbors, this poses potentially significant safety and environmental challenges. Rapid growth rates in the high-speed ferry fleet in the New York/New Jersey Harbor area have added to the urgency of this challenge.
For more information download the Technical Report as a 1.28 MB PDF
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