"New boats coming onto the Chicago River demonstrate that the river has become part of what we have to offer the people who live, work, and visit Chicago; it's no longer second fiddle," said Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, the organization dedicated to cleaning up and improving the 156-mile waterway. "Tour boats are packed to the gills and there's capacity for more people to come. These kind of investments show that the river is a critical part of our future."