“Travel Green” and Madeline Island Ferry Line
Madeline Island Ferry Line has been a member of the “Travel Green Wisconsin” program for almost 16 years.
In the spring of 2008, Mike Radtke, Tab Butler and Ross Lind initiated the MIFL “Travel Green” application process (to the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Tourism). The Ferry Line was certified as a “Travel Green” in the summer of 2009. All ferry line employees have worked hard to make the operational changes necessary to meet our commitment to the “Travel Green” initiative.
Madeline Island Ferry Line Environmental Statement
Madeline Island Ferry Line has a strong commitment to natural resource protection. It is our goal to continuously improve the environmentally sustainable methods already in place such as an active recycling program, fuel saving and streamlined maintenance practices. In addition we are introducing new energy-saving and environmentally healthy systems into our organization.
Madeline Island Ferry Line’s Energy Conservation Practices
Following are some of the environmentally sustainable methods already in place and the new energy-saving and environmentally healthy systems MIFL has incorporated into our organization.
Marine Operations
- Vessel engines run at low RPMs for significant fuel savings
- Vessel engines are turned off when dock idle time exceeds 10 minutes
- A high capacity DC voltage to AC voltage on the MV Madeline was installed to help reduce the amount of time the diesel generators operate
- “Puradyn”™ oil filter systems were installed on the three largest vessels (greatly extending the useful life of the engine oil)
- Vegetable-based hydraulic fluid is used on all vessels
- Web based camera system allows ferry crew to monitor vehicle traffic and more efficiently schedule extra ferry trips
- An inverter was added to the MV Bayfield to supply 110 AC in lieu of running the generator for early am and pm landing lights. The generator still needs to be run when the furnace is engaged.
Shore Facilities
- Low power fluorescent lighting were upgraded in the passenger terminal, shop area, office, and outdoor parking and loading areas
- Shore facilities have programmable thermostats; windows are opened in summer instead of air conditioning
- South-facing windows in passenger terminal add passive solar heat
- Green cleaning products are used
- Solar thermal panels on ferry terminal heat the domestic hot water and supplement the in floor heating system (in the Bayfield passenger terminal)
- We have an active recycling program and composting program for landscape waste
- Native and drought-resistant plants were used for landscaping along with soaker hoses and mulch
Computer, ticketing and organizational communications
- Computer equipment is put in “sleep mode”
- Customer charges are input into ticketing computer; then transferred to accounting program (minimal paper charges written)
- Lower mag card (frequent traveler) vehicle fares are available for customers driving compacts (vehicles less than 17 feet long)
- Customer billing has been converted from mailed paper to e-mail statements
- A mag card re-programmer was purchased (rather than throwing away bad mag cards and reissuing them)
- “Google docs” share MIFL web documents with crew and managers (work schedules /memo’s/etc)
- An electronic calendar maintains event/traffic scheduling
- MIFL rewards employees for ridesharing, taking the bus, walking or biking to work
- Employee checks are direct deposited and paycheck stubs e-mailed
- We have communicated with the area transit bus manager to coordinate ferry and BART bus schedules
Madeline Island Ferry Line is excited to be part of the “Travel Green WI” initiative and welcomes customer input and support for our on-going efforts in this program.