A New Bedford freight company has gotten approval to serve the Vineyard, more than eight months after it made the request.
The Steamship Authority board unanimously approved modifying a license request from 41 North Offshore so the company can establish a limited, on-demand freight service between New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard through December 2026. The request for this license amendment was originally made in October.
The vote taken during the August 20 meeting allows 41 North to make one trip per day, under the condition that trucks stage on Steamship Authority property, and the freight company provides at least 24-hour notice to the ferry line before these trips are made. 41 North will be limited to 80,000 pounds, which is the legal maximum load of a tractor-trailer, and will not carry oversize materials.
The company had been providing similar services to Nantucket, although the proposal had previously received some pushback from Tisbury and Oak Bluffs officials because of concerns over traffic congestion. The restrictions placed on the company appeased the towns’ officials.