We take no shortcuts with our customers or the environment.

Our pioneering spirit didn’t stop with the founding of America’s first high speed auto and passenger ferry. Since we started service in 2004, we’ve been recognized as an innovator in the fields of customer service and a model of the next generation of Green transportation. The Lake Express is at the forefront of the growing Maritime Highway movement

Certified Green by Travel Green Wisconsin The Lake Express was one of the first passenger vessels and the only Lake Michigan ferry recognized for inclusion in the Travel Green Wisconsin certification program. Lake Express scored a total of 65 points during the first year of the independent review process; well above the 30 point score required for recognition.  In 2009, a follow up review showed improvements that resulted in a 73 point tally. Lake Express was specifically recognized for the fact that vessel waste is offloaded for safe storage and processing on-shore. The Lake Express was designed to ensure that byproducts from the operation of the ship are not allowed to make an impact on the marine environments we share.

Additionally, many facets of our ship and facility design, as well as our operational standards were designed with sound environmental principles in mind -maximizing fuel and energy conservation, use of green spaces and green parking, and taking 25,000 or more cars off the highways between Milwaukee and Muskegon each year; drastically cutting congestion and vehicle emissions.

• View the Lake Express Travel Green Wisconsin scorecard
• OnMilwaukee.com: All aboard the eco-friendly Lake Express

Preserving Lake Michigan for Future Generations

The Lake Express commitment to the environment extends past environmental conservation and sound stewardship practices. The Lake Express also offers operational support to scientific efforts to measure and study the health of Lake Michigan and the effects air and water quality have on the environment. Our research partnership with the UWM Great Lakes Water Institute allows researchers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to take near realtime measurements of air and water quality as instruments travel with the Lake Express high speed ferry during every crossing. For more information about this unique study and partnership, see a recent article in the Milwaukee Business Journal:

• Lake Express partnering with UWM on Lake Michigan research

Lake Express has also partnered with the UWM Innovative Weather program. Through this partnership, UWM meteorology students gain real world experience while assisting the Lake Express maritime staff with forecasts covering lake weather and conditions.