Ridership Rebounds On The Cape May – Lewes Ferry In 2021
Ridership on the Cape May – Lewes Ferry reboundded during the busiest months of 2021, compared to 2020.
According to a Delaware River and Bay Authority report, more than half-a-million passengers rode the ferry between May and October, and 171,600 vehicles also made the crossing. Numbers are also showing a very strong September and October.
“The total number of passengers per ferry crossing this past summer was very close to 2019 summer highs,” DRBA Director of Ferry Operations Heath Gehrke said. “Even more encouraging is that the strong summer season really seems to have carried over into the current shoulder season, with vehicle traffic up 12% over 2019 highs in October, and passenger traffic up 5% over the same period. While these trends support broader travel and tourism patterns, the widespread recognition of the ferry system as a safe way to travel has no doubt helped us achieve these near historical highs.”
A survey conducted on behalf of the Cape May – Lewes Ferry system also found that more than 90-percent of passengers indicate they feel very safe riding the ferry.
Vehicle Traffic
2019 2020 2021
May 25,520 4,715 23,194
June 30,931 15,945 27,815
July 39,900 21,093 33,573
August 40,305 21,740 33,396
September 29,592 19,702 29,961
October 21,168 15,648 23,676
Grand Total 187,416 98,843 171,615
Passenger Traffic
2019 2020 2021
May 66,437 8,134 59,668
June 96,587 36,745 83,507
July 146,356 57,196 119,792
August 152,231 64,697 114,843
September 86,927 53,159 79,279
October 51,976 39,562 56,461
Grand Total 600,514 259,493 513,550
