The Steamship Authority experienced an uptick in ridership for the first 10 months of 2014 when compared to the same period in 2013, according to numbers SSA member Rob Ranney provided to The Times.
The SSA carried a total of 2,580,287 passengers, an increase of 1.6 percent; 397,276 automobiles, up 1.5 percent; and 141,698 trucks, an increase of 2.6 percent.
By route, Martha’s Vineyard passengers traffic was 2,040,930, an increase of 1.1 percent.
Auto traffic was 340,372, a 1.3 percent increase and truck traffic was 103,309, up 1.8 percent.
By comparison, total passenger traffic to Nantucket was 539,357, up 3.4 percent. The SSA’s fast ferry Iyanough accounted for 287,025 passengers, up 6.9 percent, while the traditional boats saw a decrease in ridership to 252,332, down 0.2 percent.
It is important to keep in mind that private fast ferry operators Hyline Cruises (445,764, up 5.6 percent) and Freedom Cruise Line (21,704, up 7 percent) carry a significant number of passengers.
Nantucket truck traffic was 38,389, up 4.6 percent, and autos were 56,904, up 2.3 percent.