Expected vehicle congestion from upcoming construction projects at terminals in Vineyard Haven and Woods Hole is pushing the Steamship Authority to consider increasing the availability of the standby line reserved for Islanders.
On Tuesday before the Port Council, Steamship staff proposed expanding availability of the Vineyarders-only Blue Line to every day. The proposal would eliminate the general vehicle standby line open to everyone.
Open only to those with preferred or excursion accounts, the Blue Line is currently used on reservation-only days, with a rolling capacity of 12 vehicles at a time. Reservation-only days on the Vineyard route are on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays between May and October, with a few dates that don’t fall on these days.
The proposed change would open up the Blue Line — named for a blue card Islanders used to carry for the program — to year-round and seven days a week.
“Depending on space availability, we would increase the [vehicle] numbers,” said Allison Fletcher, Steamship Authority shoreside operations director. “This will help our Islanders who have last-minute travel plans get to and from the Island.”
Planned redevelopment on both sides of Vineyard Sound are behind the proposed change, although the issues are more pronounced in Woods Hole, where the Steamship is undergoing a two-year, $32 million terminal reconstruction project. Slip repairs are also planned in the Vineyard Haven terminal, which will temporarily cut the number of available slips to one during the upcoming winter months.
Fletcher said the Woods Hole construction will “significantly impact the space that we have available for staging for the next two years.”
“These changes will likely result in increased wait times and congestion at both terminals, impacting our ability to serve travelers effectively,” she said. “Implementing a year-round reservation-only system is anticipated to alleviate some of this congestion, ensuring that Island residents and visitors can secure travel plans without the uncertainty in overcrowded conditions.”
Fletcher said the proposal would eliminate the unlimited standby line, although the ferry line is considering bringing it back once the construction is done.
“If you aren’t in the preferred or excursion program, you have to have a physical reservation to be on the boat,” Fletcher said, adding the process ran “smoothly” during the summer. “The only people who are going on standby are the Island residents.”
Although the Port Council made no vote on the matter, there were lingering questions on when the proposed measure should be implemented.
Oak Bluffs Councilor Joe Sollito pushed for a January start date, so the change would happen after the holiday travel season.
Falmouth Councilor Robert Munier, concerned about how traffic would be impacted in Woods Hole, requested the ferry line consider doing a trial run before committing to the change.
Tisbury Councilor John Cahill emphasized a need to educate the public about the blue line, a system he said many are unfamiliar with.
Steamship treasurer and comptroller Mark Rozum said ferry staff will return with more information during the next council meeting in December, although the Steamship Authority board could vote on the issue during its next meeting on Nov. 19.
Rozum also suggested returning to the proposition in January, when the council and board will jointly meet.
