| We designed this model to build both funding momentum and civic pride. Our ferry system—planned as a zero-emission electric service along the Willamette River—will initially connect Cathedral Park in St. Johns with RiverPlace Marina downtown, with a long-term vision stretching from Oregon City to Vancouver, Washington.
At our launch event, our founder Susan Bladholm framed this moment as a call to collective action grounded in Portland’s identity.
“Do you love Portland? Of course you do,” she said. “Because we are members of a team—Team Portland.”
She described our region as “a packed stadium—full of people who care deeply about this place,” while acknowledging a shared frustration: “It’s frustrating to root for a team that keeps running the same plays but rarely moves the ball down the field. We all want to score. We all want progress.”
Portland continues to grapple with congestion, a lack of downtown foot traffic, lagging climate progress, and gaps in cross-river transit. We see the river as an underused transportation asset—one that can provide a cleaner, quieter alternative to car travel while improving emergency resilience and regional connectivity.
“This is about using the river in a more holistic way,” said our board chair Alicia Chapman in local coverage. “For us, Frog Ferry is not a new idea—it’s a project nearly a decade in the making. For nine years, we’ve done the work. We’ve planned, studied, and partnered with experts from some of the best ferry systems in the world. We’ve mapped a nine- stop network from Vancouver to Oregon City. We’ve built a plan valued at over $40 million—with almost no public funding. We are ready.” |
