Getting to school by boat is usually reserved for those who live on islands, but it’s a novelty that was recently given a try by University of New England students and staff, during the month of April.

A three-week pilot program ran from April 9-28, using a ferry to transport students, faculty and staff from a dock in Camp Ellis to UNE’s Biddeford campus. The project was conceived by the environmental studies class of professor Noah Perlut, and its implementation was a group effort overseen by Alethea Cariddi, UNE’s sustainability coordinator.

Those who used the ferry would leave their car at the Camp Ellis dock and catch the boat in the morning or afternoon. One boat commuter noted that it normally took her 20 minutes to travel to campus by car from Kinney Shores, but on the ferry, that trip took just a few minutes.

That statistic alone shows how convenient a ferry can be to get people from one shore to the other without having to get to the bridges first. This project was a great idea that certainly bears consideration beyond this brief trial period. School is in session from September through May, which means there are several months during which it’s feasible to take a ferry ride instead of driving all the way to campus.

The ferry proposal had strong support, at least from those surveyed. In the students’ feasibility study of about 400 students and 130 faculty and staff members who attend classes or work at the Biddeford campus, 67 percent expressed interest and support, according to Perlut. In practice, the ferry was well received: According to Cariddi there was a total of 29 regular commuters who used the ferry and another 31 other people who tried it out. Ferry users averted roughly 1,260 miles of car travel in three weeks it was in operation, she said.

UNE plans to continue the ferry service next semester, said Cariddi, adding a mid-day trip that will make it more user-friendly, but funding will be the deciding factor.

The pilot program was free for ferry users, with the $3,000 of necessary funding provided by the school’s Environmental Council. The university will have to decide if investing in this program is the right step, or even if they feel that users would pay a small fee for it to cover expenses.

UNE has taken a strong approach to environmentalism, with its bicycle program, ZipCar options and partnership with ShuttleBus, as Cariddi noted. The ferry would be just another transportation option along those lines of conservation.

It’s worth pursuing, for the environmental and logistic benefits the ferry provides. Off-site parking leaves more space on campus for visitors and those who don’t have the ferry as an option from their destination, and by providing a group form of transportation, the school is helping to conserve energy and reduce emissions.

We hope the success of this trial run leads to UNE finding a sustainable way to continue the ferry service, and perhaps even inspires Biddeford and Saco to consider a Saco River ferry as well for the general public.

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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.