To the Editor:
Vineyarders cannot plan a necessary off-Island event such as essential meetings, family needs, or work obligations months in advance. Yet by the time we know we must travel, ferry reservations are already filled by vacationers who booked long ago.
Islanders are left scrambling on waitlists, constantly refreshing screens and hoping for cancellations. This is unnecessary and avoidable.
The Steamship Authority should reserve a small number of Islander excursion-only spaces, for example 10 per boat per day, released back to the general pool 48 hours before sailing. The exact number can be adjusted, but the principle matters. Additionally, shifting large freight traffic such as fuel, trash, and commercial deliveries off the Woods Hole route to New Bedford would immediately free capacity for Islander travel.
The Steamship Authority was created to serve Islanders first. It’s time to honor that mission.
Alysha Norbury, Amy Cody, Beth O’Connor, Margaret Hannemann, Nat Trumbull
SSACAG Steering Committee