To relieve congestion at the Woods Hole and Vineyard Haven terminals, Steamship Authority management this week recommended extending the boat line’s reservations-only policy to year-round — effectively ending stand-by travel for motorists visiting Martha’s Vineyard.
To relieve congestion at the Woods Hole and Vineyard Haven terminals, Steamship Authority management this week recommended extending the boat line’s reservations-only policy to year-round — effectively ending stand-by travel for motorists visiting Martha’s Vineyard.
Drivers in the SSA’s Islander-only booking programs will remain eligible for standby through the so-called blue line, which provides a dozen or more same-day spaces for residents who haven’t been able to secure vehicle reservations through their preferred or excursion-rate profiles.
For all other vehicles, reservations have been required only at peak travel times: over Memorial Day weekend, the Independence Day holiday week, Labor Day weekend and Columbus Day weekend, and on Fridays through Mondays from late June through Labor Day.
A year-round reservations-only policy should help alleviate overcrowding in Woods Hole and Vineyard Haven, allowing Islanders and travelers to make their plans without uncertainty, operations director Alison Fletcher told the SSA port council Tuesday morning.
“Both terminals are going to be undergoing major redevelopment, which will significantly impact the space that we have available for staging over the next two years,” Ms. Fletcher said.
The Vineyard Haven terminal will lose the use of one slip while reconstruction is under way this winter, she said, while the Woods Hole terminal work is expected to last for the next two years.
“These changes will likely result in increased wait times [and] congestion at both terminals... impacting our ability to serve our travelers efficiently,” Ms. Fletcher said.
The only option for same-day travel without a reservation would be the blue line, which keeps at least 12 spaces for eligible Islanders. That program could be expanded, if reservation-only days were pushed to year-round.
“Depending on space availability, we would increase the numbers of spaces permitted for us. This will help our Islanders who have last-minute travel plans get to and from the Island,” Ms. Fletcher said.
The Islander-only standby line is called the blue line because members of the excursion-rate and preferred programs used to be mailed a blue card to put on their dashboards, SSA treasurer Mark Rozum said.
Tisbury port council member John Cahill said the service could use a more descriptive name, noting that Islanders often question him about its meaning.
“Maybe you want to come up with something that better expresses what that blue line does,” said Mr. Cahill, who also asked that any changes in the reservation policy go into effect after the holiday travel season.
Among other business Tuesday, the port council reviewed the Steamship Authority’s operating budget for the coming year, which Mr. Rozum said has been trimmed by about $2.3 million since last month.
Proposed fare increases have been reduced by the same amount, Mr. Rozum said.
The Steamship Authority now proposes to raise adult passenger tickets by 50 cents in each direction, halving the previously proposed hike of $1.
Children’s and seniors’ tickets are planned to go up by 25 cents, instead of 50 cents.
Passenger ticket cards, which the SSA still calls books, also are having their proposed increases cut by half, from $8 to $4 more for the adult 10-ride card, from $4 to $2 more for the 10-ride for adults and seniors and from $21 to $10.50 more for the 46-ride card.
Proposed increases for passenger automobiles, freight and parking remain unchanged in the new draft budget.
The Steamship Authority board of governors is scheduled to take up the 2025 budget and rate increases at its Nov. 19 meeting.
Comments
We are lucky if the boat even
News Flash Vineyard HavenWe are lucky if the boat even sails right now. The Blue line is a myth. No one can get a reservation as it is and stand by is the only option most have left. Did they “forget” that they too use stand by to fill the boats? Unbelievable.
There should be standby all
wake up mvThere should be standby all year. Living here is getting increasingly difficult due to the mismanagement of the SSA. The boat line would make more money if they filled the empty boats with standby travel. Every time a boat departs with space available that is revenue LOST and those of us taxpayers will be stuck with any deficit incurred. Here's a thought. If you want to get rid of standby, then expand the schedule 24 hours a day so we can actually get a reservation.
What?
Tom Engley West Tisbury.What?
So much for our "lifeline"
Michelle Vineyard HavenSo much for our "lifeline" between the rest of the world and our homes.. doctors appointments.. reasonably priced dental care.. guess it's just throw hands up and proclaim "too bad so sad but we might be able to accommodate a few of you maybe.."
Just like the fast ferry.. promised winter service saying they'd run knowing full well they'd be in the red.. we depend on this!! We make major life plans like relocating doctors/dentists thinking we can walk off the boat to their offices!
Life on this island is hard enough without $500 walk in the door no mass health dental care.. and you finally find a solution and once again the services and promises of accessibility is dropped out from under you. Too bad. I love how blue the island is but it's just virtue signaling while people are grasping at straws and leaving in droves. Oh well.
How does that work if a boat
Joyce EdgartownHow does that work if a boat is cancelled? Do the non residents go ahead in the standby line?
Again, maybe too late to
Chris EdgartownAgain, maybe too late to comment, but why the Woods Hole giant building? Already being built but not needed in my opinion. No oversight. Or accountability, and now people who depend on the SSA are paying the price.
the mentality of this article
Michael edgartownthe mentality of this article is absolutely mind boggling........you seriously need to vote on a bridge. this is unsustainable....
Define residents for the blue
Sandy edgartownDefine residents for the blue line. Is it seasonal homeowners? seasonal renters? seasonal workers? Or just permanent residents? Either way, the loss of full time standby during the week is a big issue especially given how most days in July and August are always sold out! Need to rethink this.
Continued acceptance of
Mark VHContinued acceptance of failure by the SSA’s leadership. Where is the Board of Governors?
All Ma. residents deserve
Karen Krowski CantonAll Ma. residents deserve standby. Who pay for our roads and bridges.
How absurd is it that both VH
Up island girl ChilmarkHow absurd is it that both VH and WH terminals are being done at the same time? Question the timing and the real necessity of these projects. Certainly not at the expense of access to and from the Island.
The comment that the new
Bob Morris Woods HoleThe comment that the new terminal is already being built is incorrect…
The multi-story building going up on the south side of the property is “THE MAINTENANCE SHED”
A good point that I wish the
Peter J EdgartownA good point that I wish the Gazette had covered! The new terminal project must be cancelled. In the past two years have you ever seen a long line to buy tickets or use the bathrooms? No. Ten years ago the lines used to go out the door on weekends, but now you know, THE INTERNET MEANS NO LINES. So why do we need a huge, expensive taj mahal?.
Standby access to the boat is
Peter West TisburyStandby access to the boat is super important to the traveling public. If vehicles are the major customer of the steamship authority, we should move employee parking which is right next to the boat in woods hole and vineyard haven to Palmer Ave or the park and ride. All of those car spaces could easily provide continuously moving space for many, many cars day while an employee is working their 8-15 hr (however long) shift.
Where is it written that the employees have to park next to the boat at an extremely high inconvenience/cost to the traveling public.
This is ridiculous! I am at a
R Scott Patterson EdgartownThis is ridiculous! I am at a loss for words.
If you manage to go off
Bruce Stone EdgartownIf you manage to go off island through the so-called "blue line" are you guaranteed to be able to get back? How does it work, can you pay for a round trip at the excursion rate and have an open return and be guaranteed to be accepted in the blue line even if the daily maximum has been exceeded?
It seems to me that in this
Paul Connor West TisburyIt seems to me that in this digital world that the SSA could come up with a solution to offer last minute excursions if they have empty spots. By offering them 45 minutes ahead of the departure they would prevent the extra cars on stand by that they are worried about. We have all seen the schedule show nothing is available while waiting to get our cars on only to a ship departing with lots of empty spaces. They need someone who really knows logistics.
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