Taxi boat proposals higher than expected

[BailJumper]

Thoughts?


By Bryan Dean
The Oklahoman

Proposed costs for taxi boats on the Oklahoma River are nearly double the amount city officials had hoped for, prompting some to worry whether the boats will be ready next year for the state's centennial.
The cheapest of the three proposals submitted was for $1.4 million for each boat.

Former Mayor Ron Norick, who heads the city's river trust, said there is no way the city can afford that.

"They need to be somewhere in the $800,000 to $900,000 range per boat," Norick said. "I would hope we could get them under that."

Norick echoed complaints made in September by Bob Bekoff, owner of Water Taxi Inc., which runs the boats on the Bricktown Canal.

Bekoff had planned to submit a boat proposal that would have been within the city's budget but pulled his company out of the river taxi project, saying the request for proposals was too specific and was botched by a consultant.

The city hired Triad Design Group to help draft the proposal. Triad retained Art Anderson Associates, a Washington-based naval engineering firm, to help draft specifications for the 50-passenger boats.

Norick said the specifications should have given general guidelines that would have allowed for a range of designs.

"I think it was way too complicated, and there were way too many restrictions as to what they could or couldn't do," Norick said. "It almost asked them to use a certain size screw or a certain size chair."

Norick said the proposal was so detailed it precluded companies from submitting designs for boats they already build, driving up the cost.

"There are water taxis all over the world that have been built for years by a variety of companies," Norick said. "We certainly don't need a whole new boat created for us."

Don Douglas, partner in Triad Design, said he doesn't believe the proposal was too specific, but it is complicated by federal guidelines.

The city has been approved for $2.25 million in federal transportation money and is asking for another $1 million.

"We have to stay within the federal process or we could jeopardize our funding," Douglas said. "This is the process. This is what we're stuck with."

City officials will visit next week the two companies that submitted the lowest bids, Scarano Boatbuilding Inc. of Albany, N.Y., and Allen Marine of Sitka, Alaska.

Oklahoma City Transit Director Rick Cain said the group will tour the companies and work with them to find out whether their prices can come down. Cain said the city could consider settling for a boat with a smaller engine or one that holds fewer people if it would make the project affordable.

Norick said he will get the problems solved but is worried about the timeline. He promised the city will get a boat in the water within its budget.

"I think it's very important that we can have those boats operational sometime during our centennial year," Norick said. "I think we can still make the deadline if we'll go to a standard boat and not something that has to be designed, engineered and built."

"There are water taxis all over the world that have been built for years by a variety of companies. We certainly don't need a whole new boat created for us."Former Mayor Ron Norick, who heads the city's river trust

[Midtowner]

City project? Over budget? Amazing.

The use of federal money for water taxis is a prime example as to why the current transportation funding apparatus is just a bad idea.

[johnnyboyokc]

midtowner we agree again...wow...like the past mayor said there are boats already made for this kind of job.....why reinvent the wheel..........dont you agree how many river boats are there across the nation?

[Midtowner]

Yep.. but sometimes it's about WHO you pay, not what you pay for

[NE Oasis]

Seems like the local water taxi operator was right, the bid specifications that were developed were so specific and detailed that his bid was cast aside. No need for a custom build starting at the keel. I'm sure there a dozens of bare bones water taxis,just waiting OKC specifications for seating capacity and arrangement, that meet all federal specifications and could be ready by Spring.

[OKCNDN]

Seems like the local water taxi operator was right, the bid specifications that were developed were so specific and detailed that his bid was cast aside. No need for a custom build starting at the keel. I'm sure there a dozens of bare bones water taxis,just waiting OKC specifications for seating capacity and arrangement, that meet all federal specifications and could be ready by Spring.

I guess we are about to find out what's more important, getting a boat into the water or getting a boat that will meet specifications into the water.

Just don't let Randy Hogan in on the project.

Even after the boat is built to OKC specs those specs are probably going to change, there's going to be something they forgot or didn't think of. So why the is the city so demanding?

In order to obtain insurance for the boats don't you think that there will have to some sort of rescue personnel available, a "coast guard" for the Oklahoma river? Do you think that an insurance company would let a boat out on the water without some sort of viable rescue plan in operating condition, some way to get those people off the boat in case of a sinking?

There currently isn't any sort of rescue team available but there also isn't anyone on the river either.

[keving]

In order to obtain insurance for the boats don't you think that there will have to some sort of rescue personnel available, a "coast guard" for the Oklahoma river? Do you think that an insurance company would let a boat out on the water without some sort of viable rescue plan in operating condition, some way to get those people off the boat in case of a sinking?

There currently isn't any sort of rescue team available but there also isn't anyone on the river either.

Actually, there are people on the river right now. Rowers row on the river everyday they can. We usually have a person driving around in a low-wake boat we call a "launch" to make sure everyone is okay. Also, anyone can take a kayak or canoe down to the river and paddle around. I have seen several people down at the river in their own canoes/kayaks paddling around.

[OKCNDN]

I was unaware of this, actually I forgot.

But a business still needs insurance and as part of that insurance the insuring company may require some sort of rescue plan.

I only say this because in Kansas City when they started the riverboat casino's the riverboats would actually go on a cruise for two hours around that river. The riverboat cruise's stopped when the insurance companies decided there wasn't a good enough evacuation plan in case of a sinking, there was no way to get the people off of there.

The riverboat's are doable without the rescue squad but I bet the insurance would be much, much higher.

[keving]

I believe there is also concern about the amount of wake created by these taxi boats.

[ETL]

What is going to happen with the project on the river?

[johnnyboyokc]

hey randy has nothing to do with this he is just a business man doing his job....making money....im not saying i agree with all of his doings. however he has nothing to do with this!!agree Dont take shots at people for just trying to make a living....