It’s been five years since the cable at White’s Ferry snapped and life got a little more isolated for residents in Upcounty.
This year the Fair Access Committee will hold a rally to raise voices and hopes for a re-opening of the centuries-old service that crossed the Potomac between Dickerson, an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, and Leesburg in Loudoun County.
The dispute between the Ferry owner, Chuck Kuhn, and landowners on the other side, the Devlin family, has showed little sign of resolution. Recently the county offered a $3 million-dollar public subsidy to help reopen the Ferry. But at the time of this writing little seems to have come of it.
Now a new voice from the Virginia side of the river is weighing in on the unresolved dilemma. Virginia Delegate David Reid, who also works as the Vice Chair of the Virginia House Transportation Committee, made his concerns known in an opinion column for Loudoun Now.
According to the article, Reid will spearhead legislation establishing a state-led work group to find a way to get the Ferry back in operation on the Potomac again.
Reid cites several ways to end the current impasse including negotiation, easement, or acquisition that remains respectful of personal property rights.
With an eye toward more sophisticated water travel he concludes, “after five years, it’s time for a reset and a fresh approach to reopen Whites Ferry with active involvement from the state’s transportation professionals. Water transit can provide the region and the Commonwealth with additional capacity without the high costs of road or rail construction.”
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