Stepping into the new year, the Steamship Authority has a lot on its plate, from filling its top two positions to balancing the shifting travel patterns.

As August makes way to September and the Vineyard readies its goodbye to summer, businesses are reporting mixed results even though preliminary data show more traffic on roads, runways and ferries.

Harbor reservations are at an all-time high, ferries have robust bookings and the airport is bracing for its annual onslaught of private and commercial planes.

The Steamship Authority saw last month's Martha's Vineyard passenger traffic rise nearly 26 per cent compared to January 2022.

Automobile and passenger traffic on Steamship Authority ferries plunged into steep decline this month, just as the coronavirus pandemic began its spread into Massachusetts.

Summer vehicle traffic numbers from the Steamship Authority are on track to match last year’s record-breaking figures, and backups continue to snarl Island roads in July and August.