Islanders will be able to raise questions about the Steamship Authority’s efforts to overhaul its reservation system at a pair of upcoming open houses.

The ferry line will hold an open house on the Vineyard on Thursday Dec. 4 from 4 to 5:45 p.m. at the Tisbury emergency services facility on Spring street. A virtual option will be available on Dec. 11. 

The Steamship Authority has been working on replacing its system, which has gone down several times during opening day for summer vehicle reservations. Islanders have also complained in recent years that the reservation system will say there are no openings for boats, only to find several spots available when they drive down to the terminal. 

In June, the ferry line board of governors hired an Italian company to replace the current system, which dates back to the 1990s and remains the property of its developer. 

Officials have said they hope to roll out the new software in the spring of 2026 on the passenger-only Nantucket fast ferry, before implementing it fully on the Nantucket and Vineyard routes, possibly by the end of 2026.

At each of the upcoming workshops, the project team for the reservation system will be available to discuss the pending replacement, as well as review improvements and new features, the ferry line said in a statement. Attendees will also be able to share feedback.

The virtual meeting can be accessed at https://bit.ly/TrueNorthtownhall.