commute – BIG

Tired of the QEW commute? Consider taking a hovercraft.

Starting next summer a new hovercraft service will run between Toronto and Niagara, transporting passengers across Lake Ontario in 30 minutes. That’s a quarter of the time it takes to drive.

Operated by Hoverlink Ontario Inc., the private company is in its final stages of launching after getting the green light from all three tiers of government. The company plans to use Toronto’s Ontario Place and St. Catharines’ Port Weller as its docking facilities. Both locations were chosen due to their proximity to tourist and sporting attractions, such as Niagara Falls and BMO Field, as well as connecting to other transportation infrastructure, such as the GO Train and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

Photo Courtesy of Hoverlink Ontario Inc.

In a recent announcement, the company said it will be operating two hovercrafts, the Griffon BHT-130 and BHT-150, with the intention of making 48 lake crossings per day, 365 days per year. Each hovercraft can hold 180 people in its cabin, meaning the company could transport up to three million people per year.

Beyond cutting commute times (around two hours by car or train) the service is expected to take thousands of cars off of the QEW, the company said, alleviating traffic and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The hovercrafts are powered by an extremely low-emission tier 3 engine that uses a diesel exhaust system to reduce 98 per cent of airborne toxins created by the engine. Yet it still manages to propel the hovercrafts at 80 to 100 km/h.

The hovercrafts use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull, raising it 1.8 metres above the surface. A rubberized skirt around the outside of the hovercraft helps to maintain the lift by applying slight pressure to the surface, approximately 1/16th of a human footstep. This allows the hovercraft to glide over land, water, and ice.

Unlike past ferry services that attempted the cross-lake commute, the hovercrafts can operate all year round and leave almost no wake, avoiding damage to shorelines. When in use, the hovercrafts produce 60 decibels of noise, similar to the level of a dishwasher, so the vehicle won’t disturb marine life below the surface or irritate any Lake Ontario neighbours, the company said.

Currently, there are no transportation services operating on Lake Ontario. The last ferry service, connecting Toronto to Rochester, N.Y., ended in 2006 due to financial issues.

This new service will be the first commercial use of hovercrafts in North America. The U.S. military, Royal Marines, and the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards are the only other entities on the continent to use the vehicles.

Photo Courtesy of CNW Group/Hoverlink Ontario Inc.

Hoverlink’s goal is to make the hovercrafts a viable option for commuters, so it’s aiming to keep ticket prices comparable to other Toronto-to-Niagara transit options. An official ticket price has yet to be released, but the company estimates it will cost $50 to $60 roundtrip. In comparison, a roundtrip bus or train ticket costs around $40.

Commuters will also be able to bring their bikes, kayaks, and strollers on board, but will have to leave their cars in the port’s parking lot.

“Hoverlink’s hovercraft service will unite families to sporting events, theatre, concerts, adult gaming, and one of the natural wonders of the world in 30 minutes,” said Argonauts general manager and Hoverlink board member Michael “Pinball” Clemons, in the announcement. “Hoverlink is changing the game.”

Feature Video

With fuel prices escalating of late, now is the ideal time to revisit fuel efficiency with a few helpful tips on how drivers can spend less on gas by making fewer trips to the pump.

Tip #1: Do your maintenance

A properly maintained vehicle will consistently outperform a neglected unit, and therefore use less fuel. Regular service is essential but there are several do-it-yourself tasks which owners can, and should, perform on a weekly or, at a bare minimum, monthly basis. If possible, set a regular scheduled day for this, perhaps the 1^st weekend of every month.

First, check the fluid levels under the hood (oil, coolant etc.). Also, this is the perfect time to top off that windshield washer fluid.

Second, monitor your tire pressure—underinflated tires are one of the leading causes of poor fuel economy. In fact, a drop of just a few pounds (lbs) of air pressure could reduce your fuel economy by as much as 10-15%. It is also a serious safety issue which can lead to accidents. Typically, recommended pressures are to be found on the decal inside the driver’s door or on the driver’s door pillar. Failing that, they can be found in the owner’s handbook.

This task should be performed when the tires are cold and, if possible, refrain from using gas station gauges as they are notoriously inaccurate. Personally, I use a quality dial style pressure gauge (available at any good automotive store) and my advice is don’t cheap out. A quality brand product might cost a little more but it will supply years of service. I also carry a small portable compressor in my vehicle, just in case. Again, I would recommend purchasing quality (I carry a cordless battery-pack DEWALT unit). Should you go this route, a rather accurate pressure gauge is already built into the unit.

Tip # 2: Learn to drive smoothly & efficiently

Drivers tend to believe that it’s their accelerator pedal which burns all the fuel, yet unnecessary use of the braking system can certainly waste fuel. Why use up all that forward energy by hitting the brakes unnecessarily?

So keep your eyes up and read the road ahead—if that traffic light has been green for a while now, there’s a very good chance that it will soon turn red. Be prepared for this. In fact, a quick glance at the pedestrian countdown numbers used on many intersections today is a great indicator of when that change might happen. Coasting smoothly to a stop will not only save on your fuel bill, but also the wear and tear costs of your braking system.

When pulling away, try to roll gently onto the accelerator pedal rather than stab at it. Smoothness truly is the key to greater fuel economy. In fact, master the art of smooth driving and you could realize savings of as much as 20 per cent or more, depending on the size and type of your vehicle.

Many years ago, I was trained as a chauffeur and this is what I was taught during that training; visualize your grandmother sitting in your back seat sipping on a glass of sherry and drive accordingly. Try it, it works!

Tip # 3: Declutter your vehicle

We all do it! Throw items in the trunk and forget about them. I had a friend once who carried a full set of golf clubs, just in case! That’s like constantly carrying an extra person in your vehicle! So it’s a good idea to go through your vehicle every now and then with the mindset of decluttering and discarding unnecessary weight.

This particularly applies to racks and roof-mounted storage boxes. While useful when you need them, if you’re using them less than once a month, I‘d suggest that the few minutes required to remove them is well worth it. The wind resistance/drag alone from these can easily cause a drop of between 5-10 per cent in fuel economy, again depending your car’s size and type.

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Tip # 4: Don’t be idle

Sitting in an idling vehicle gets you nowhere, but it does burn fuel. So whenever possible, the golden rule is, 60 seconds or more, switch off your engine. I’m particularly mindful of this when it comes to drive-through restaurants. My own rule is, more than 3-4 vehicles in the lineup, I simply park up and go inside.

Idling a vehicle is possibly the greatest waste of fuel. When you truly think about it, it is 100 per cent inefficient in fuel terms, so there are considerable savings to be had by reducing this.

Tip # 5: Use the tools you’ve got

Most modern vehicles have a host of features designed to assist drivers (eco mode etc.) and one of my favourites is the instant fuel economy display. Drive utilizing this feature and you’ll soon learn how to save fuel.

In town, it will teach you the foolishness of being heavy footed and, on the highway, you will learn precisely where your vehicle’s sweet spot is (all vehicles have a “cruising sweet spot”). The difference of a few kph can produce a huge change to fuel economy, especially over a long distance trip.

Make use of this display and watch those numbers for just a few weeks and you will most certainly become a far more fuel efficient driver.

Safe driving tips for Canada’s varied landscapes

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