Although pier repairs at the Steamship Authority’s Vineyard Haven terminal have been delayed, a newly established Islanders-only standby line system will remain.
Worked had been planned for the terminal in the winter, but the project is pushed back to the fall by an additional step in permitting
“The state’s wetlands and water resources group determined that we should go through [conservation commission] even though it’s out on the water, it’s above the water,” Robert Davis, Steamship Authority general manager, said during the Tuesday Port Council meeting.
“We’ve talked with the engineers. They’re not concerned about the condition; there’s nothing critical that needs to be done,” Davis said.
The Vineyard Haven pier repairs were a part of why the Steamship Authority initiated a 90-day trial run of having only the Blue Line, which is a standby line exclusive to Islanders, starting this month. The general standby line, frequently used by visitors, has been eliminated during this time. The Woods Hole terminal, which is undergoing construction, also implemented this system for space constraints and for pedestrian safety.
Joe Sollitto, Oak Bluffs representative on the Port Council, wanted the general standby line to return to Vineyard Haven with no construction planned, but Steamship Authority shoreside operations director Alison Fletcher was concerned that having different types of standby lines at each terminal would cause confusion.
And Fletcher said the Blue Line has been working well so far, although it has been somewhat slow. Only 15 cars utilized the Islander standby line in Vineyard Haven over the weekend.
Additionally, the Steamship initiated a “callback” program for the Woods Hole terminal so travelers will receive a text message if there is space in the Blue Line.
However, the Vineyard Haven terminal is still expected to see construction work in a few months. Vineyard Haven will be reduced to one slip while transfer bridges are replaced, expected in March. Replacing each transfer bridge is expected to take between a week and 10 days. The work is planned to take place after the Nantucket terminal undergoes the same type of construction, which is scheduled in the latter half of February.
