Despite critical opposition from Woods Hole residents, the Port Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to keep the 5:30 am freight ferry trips.
The early morning ferry will likely be part of the 2024 operating schedule, which the Port Council also approved.
The allowance of the 5:30 am freight ferry has been an ongoing battle between the Steamship Authority (SSA) and, largely, Woods Hole residents. In April, the SSA received a petition with 112 signatures objecting to the early boat, which led to a public hearing in May. A number of Woods Hole residents spoke against the early morning ferry during the hearing. Many residents who spoke during the hearing expressed concerns such as noise from trucks and safety concerns about traffic.
Davis said on Tuesday that the claims from Woods Hole residents have been the same as in the past, such as allegations that the SSA did not pursue “multiple viable alternatives” for off-Cape freight service. He said the claims also included a generalized public health impact, and that the new, third slip was only used for emergency purposes.
“Those lacked factual basis,” Davis said. However, he said the SSA will continue to discuss the schedule’s impact on Falmouth with its community.
The SSA also received a letter from the Falmouth Select Board with a request to drop the 5:30 ferry, according to Davis.
But on the other hand, there has been support on the Island to keep the early morning ferry. The SSA received letters of support from some Island towns and from Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Davis said the SSA staff recommended keeping the 5:30 am ferry for the following year’s schedule, although the vehicles on this freight ferry will be limited to those under 40 feet in length since they make less noise.
“The schedule that we’re proposing is essentially the same schedule that we’ve now operated since 2018,” he said.
Tisbury council representative John Cahill pointed out that his town also has a 5:30 am boat on the schedule, and he had not heard complaints from Tisbury residents. “We welcome it, and we need it,” he said.
When Oak Bluffs council representative Joe Sollito asked whether there was a way to know how many of the trucks that drive down Woods Hole Road were actually coming to get a ride on the ferry, SSA director of shoreside operations Alison Fletcher said “No.”
Sollito said he thinks people in Falmouth don’t realize the limited parking the Vineyard has for trucks, particularly with the increase in people staying on the Island. “Maybe they should come over to the Vineyard sometime and see what our problems are,” he said.
The 2024 schedule still needs to be approved by the SSA board, which is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, July 18.
