Primary and secondary research methods for developing audience-centered arguments

Water Taxis

Interviewee Research

This person has been involved in water taxi projects before, so should be a good source of information about getting such a project under way.

I know a little bit about the topic in terms of having seen these types of projects before. Several cities have them and they seem quite popular. I also know that Miami is a water-oriented city with Biscayne Bay, and a lot of canals. Putting these two things together is the genesis of the water taxi idea.

Primary Questions

O1. How would you describe the challenges in getting a water taxi venture running?

O2. What is the role that the public and private sectors can play in a water taxi project?

O3. How have these programs been received in the past, by the public and by politicians?

What is the current ridership of your water taxi program?

C2. Is your water taxi program profitable?

C3. Do you think a water taxi program could work in Miami?

Reasoning Behind Asking These Questions

The open-ended questions will provide me with insight into the project, and past experiences. I do not know the answers to these questions, and there are doubtless going to be variables I have not considered, which is why I want open-ended answers. The latter are key things to consider when starting a project such as this.

Anticipated Responses to Questions

I think that the interviewee will appreciate these questions, and answer them as best as possible. I expect honesty about the first three, and these questions are why I am doing the interview.

Secondary Questions

I would want to know more about how to bring a project like this to fruition. I had mostly asked about obstacles and roles, but there are a lot of factors, for example operational factors, that I would want to ask if given the opportunity.

References for Part I

None

Part II.

Savas (2000) writes about public-private partnerships and the role that they can play in the privatization process. The paper outlines the different forms that these projects can take, and what the implications of those different forms are. This is an important paper for this topic because one of the most vital ways for civic governments to bring about projects like this is through PPPs. These structures are also useful for companies who want to execute on big ideas like this, as government assistance can defray startup costs and ensure strong links between the water taxis and existing public transportation networks.

Cooke et al. (2007) discuss water taxis in the Grenadines. The paper is from the perspective of water taxi operators, and outlines concepts like asset management, livelihood analysis, and the different ways in which sustainability initiatives can work within the context of improving the livelihoods of the water taxi operators. Though not an American setting, this paper does outline issues that may be of relevance to our project, including sustainability and how to make the business profitable.

Damart and Roy (2009) discuss the use of cost-benefit analysis in public transportation decision-making. They outline cost-benefit analysis, and the methods by which some governments make decisions. These ideas are useful because the water taxi business plan will need to have a cost-benefit analysis. In addition, if there is to be any government involvement in the project, say as a PPP, then it will be of value to understand how governments make public transportation investment decisions.