By Rachel Osterhues And Baylee Pulliam
After the construction of the KFC Yum! Center, the Waterfront Development Corp. launched a new way for Indiana residents to get to University of Louisville basketball games. This season, the Spirit of Jefferson riverboat will be offering a water shuttle to transport passengers to Louisville on men’s basketball game days.
“This was actually the brainchild of Jeffersonville mayor Tom Galligan,” said Linda Harris, CEO of the Belle of Louisville. “The city of Jeffersonville is chartering the Spirit of Jefferson for the nights of most men’s basketball games this season.”
The boat will ferry passengers from Jeffersonville to the Fourth Street Warf in Louisville
“It’s really convenient,” said Dana Young, Jeffersonville’s director of community development. “I think it’s only about a 10-minute walk to the Yum! Center. There are two trips – one 90 minutes before tipoff and one 45 minutes before. So you have options.”
According to the Waterfront Development Corp. website, parking will be free on the Jeffersonville side of the river so that passengers can leave their cars before boarding. While season tickets have been made available, individual tickets for the ferry will be priced at $10 for the round trip.
Students who live in Indiana appreciate the new option and its benefits.
“Free parking, tailgating permitted and $10 round trip,” said Ethan Scheldorf, a junior computer information systems major and an Indiana resident. “What’s there not to like?”
According to officials, the shuttle has the potential to be very helpful to Indiana residents, who would otherwise have to take the heavily trafficked George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge in order to attend U of L home games.
“One definite upside is that it will hopefully disperse some bridge traffic,” said Harris. “We’ve actually had people from the Kentucky side of the river drive over and take the ferry back across.”
Some students have suggested that the new transportation option might increase attendance at Yum! Center basketball games.
“This added attraction might encourage people other than the usual sports fans to go to the games,” said Rebekah Snyder, a junior art major.
In October, the Spirit of Jefferson had an open house for Indiana residents to preview the new ferry. Jeffersonville restaurants offered free food samples to the 267 southern Indiana residents who purchased season tickets and were invited to the event.
“Everyone seemed to like it,” said Young.
However, some have expressed disappointment that the ferry does not yet run for events other than U of L men’s basketball home games.
“It’s true – the boat doesn’t run for other events, like the Justin Bieber concert or other events at the Yum! Center,” said Harris. “We’ve had people ask about that. It doesn’t yet. But if people like what they see on the ferry and keep using it, it might in the future.”
Time will tell if the Spirit of Jefferson shuttle is a success. Until then, the Waterfront Development Corp. and the city of Jeffersonville hope that the water ferry will encourage many Hoosiers to venture over to support U of L.
