New proposals to redevelop the New Bedford State Pier include accommodations for the Cuttyhunk Ferry, a relief to residents and visitors who depend on the service to the small island.
New proposals to redevelop the New Bedford State Pier include accommodations for the Cuttyhunk Ferry, a relief to residents and visitors who depend on the service to the small island.
During a public meeting last week at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, state lawmakers and a consultant for the state pier owner reassured dozens of people worried that the ferry could be pushed out as officials consider revamping the beleaguered pier.
Cuttyhunk Ferry owner Jono Billings.
Cuttyhunk Ferry owner Jono Billings.
“There are a bunch of us that are pretty much willing to say over our dead bodies will there be no Cuttyhunk Ferry in New Bedford,” said state Sen. Mark Montigny, a Democrat who represents New Bedford.
The state has been eyeing changes to the state pier for about two decades, and in 2023 issued a request for proposals for the property. MassDevelopment, a quasi-public agency focused on stimulating economic growth in the state, took in seven different proposals for the 8-acre area and had its consultant, Utile, consider the best options moving forward.
The town of Gosnold and the Buzzards Bay Coalition partnered with the Cuttyhunk Ferry to submit a proposal in an attempt to highlight the importance of the ferry to the island. Though a water taxi also goes to Cuttyhunk, the ferry service has the only scheduled trips to the island, which has about a dozen year-round residents but swells to several hundred visitors in the summer.
“It serves as the lifeline for the island,” said David Warr, a Cuttyhunk property owner. “Without it, we cease to function.”
In both short-term and long-term scenarios, Utile expected the Cuttyhunk Ferry would still be able to operate from the pier to provide passage to the Gosnold island. That was a relief to Cuttyhunkers.
“I think a lot of anxiety has been reduced tonight and I’d like to thank you,” said Sarah Berry, the chair of the Gosnold select board.
Change is still afoot though. The Cuttyhunk Ferry, owned by Jono Billings, currently operates on the south side of the pier in its own area. But under the scenarios, it could be moved to the north side, near the Seastreak ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, while work to upgrade one of the pier’s bulkhead takes place.
“The Cuttyhunk Ferry is going to have to be moved to the north side for the reconstruction of that edge,” said Tim Love, a principal at Utile.
The ferry is the lifeline to the island, commenters said.
The ferry is the lifeline to the island, commenters said.
Under two recommended long-term proposals for the pier, the ferry service could also move permanently to the north side of the pier, and potentially share space with Seastreak. Seastreak could also be consolidated onto the south side of the pier under the second long-term proposal.
Mr. Love said Utile was looking at options that create more separation between the public facing parts of the pier and the more industrial fishing and shipping portions.
“[Both proposals] clarify a line between happy public, getting to ferries, going to restaurants, maybe shopping coming from downtown, versus marine industrial,” Mr. Love said.
The overhauling of the state pier has been hit with issues for years, and officials at the July 1 meeting in the Whaling City said that at this stage, the state wants to get the project right instead of just getting it over with.
“I frankly feel when this is done, it will be worth the wait,” Sen. Montigny said.
Mr. Billings, both the owner and the operator of the ferry, thanked the state representatives for their assurances, but also stressed that it’s not just a passenger ferry. The Cuttyhunk Ferry also carries freight to and from the island, necessitating the need for loading space and a spot for a crane.
People stand to show their support for the ferry.
People stand to show their support for the ferry.
“Everything that goes to Cuttyhunk, every bundle of wood, every piece of appliance, everything comes from here and the majority comes on our ferry,” he said.
People with concerns about the continuation of the Cuttyhunk Ferry dominated the question and answer portion of the approximately 70-minute meeting, and state Rep. Chris Markey, who represents New Bedford, seemed miffed at the insinuation that the ferry would be tossed from the pier.
“Things will change, it doesn’t mean the ferry will go away,” he said. “It will remain in New Bedford and it will remain on the state pier.”
Though it might not be as convenient and parking may be reduced for the service, he asked people to not get caught up in hyperbole and hypothetical situations.
“Not everything is going to work out perfectly and have it the exact same way. That’s what change does,” Mr. Markey said. “But the idea that this ferry is going somewhere else is hogwash.”
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