Rally to Reopen Whites Ferry

The Fair Access Committee has been working for months for a settlement of the Whites Ferry impasse. Montgomery County's DOT has reached out to the Virginia landowner to see about negotiating an easement but the process has simply dragged on. We do not see any timeline in sight for an agreement to be reached. Given the two year anniversary of the Ferry's closure, we thought that a rally to demonstrate support and to show politicians we care and are not resigned to the continued closure of the Ferry would be helpful.

The rally will not be a "finger pointing exercise" calling out an individual politician or leader or institution. Rather, it will focus on the failure on many levels of our political process to get this issue resolved. We simply think that this issue does not have a high level of urgency in the eyes of leaders and we want them to know this is unacceptable. 

Please share with your friends, colleagues and organizations. Make signs like "No One Left Behind Means Us Too", "Reopen our Main Street" or "Don't Let the Grinch Steal the Ferry Too". We hope to make our point and have fun too.

The ferry is unique historically but it is also a transportation link that fits the Ag Reserve. It effectively meters traffic allowing it to flow but not overwhelm the Reserve and build pressure for development. It also cuts off huge amounts of travel time, saving greenhouse gases. We have estimated that since the Ferry closed, more than 9 million extra miles have been driven, a distance that equals more than 8 trips back and forth to the moon.

Let's let our leaders know this issue matters.