SSA introducing expanded Blue Line 

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Cars waiting in line at the Steamship Authority's Vineyard Haven terminal. —Eunki Seonwoo

The Steamship Authority has started a pilot program that officials hope could make it easier for Islanders to get a vehicle to and from the mainland while terminals in Woods Hole and on the Vineyard undergo construction.

As of Saturday, Jan. 4, the Steamship is introducing a 90-day trial run of having an expanded version of the exclusively Islanders-only vehicle standby line, also called the Blue Line. A rolling limit of 12 cars will be allowed in the Blue Line, although more may be accommodated depending on space availability. 

The general standby line, frequently used by visitors and Islanders, will be eliminated during the trial run, cutting off the resource for passengers with vehicles who do not have preferred or excursion accounts.

The change was approved by the Steamship Authority board in November, where board members cited concerns over a lack of space and potential congestion at both the Vineyard Haven and Woods Hole terminals from construction. While slip repairs will temporarily cut the number of available slips in Vineyard Haven to one this winter, Woods Hole is undergoing a $32 million reconstruction project that is expected to take another two years to complete. 

The Steamship Authority board will revisit the standby line issue after the trial period.