After public outcry from Falmouth, the Steamship Authority (SSA) board opted to not reinstate a general standby line.
The board unanimously voted on Tuesday to keep using only the Blue Line, a standby line meant only for Islanders, a change that was implemented last year over concerns about congestion from construction in Woods Hole and Vineyard Haven, including the new mainland terminal.
While the Blue Line is available for customers with preferred or excursion accounts, the general standby line was another tool that Islanders used to return home and could be utilized by visitors. But Alex Kryska, SSA general manager, said one of the “big challenges” is that he frequently heard over the summer that the Blue Line wasn’t working. Last month, Oak Bluffs Port Councillor Joe Sollitto noted a more flexible option would help Islanders and some Islanders have complained that the Blue Line, which has a rolling limit of 12 cars, doesn’t seem to be as readily available.
Kryska requested that SSA staff be allowed to figure out ways to improve the Blue Line but not reintroduce the general standby line yet.
Rather, Falmouth officials wanted more done to address loitering rideshare vehicles near the SSA terminal in Woods Hole. A SSA staff report states the ferry line “recognizes that until the temporary buildings have been removed, flexibility in the Woods Hole Terminal staging lot would be limited should there be a weather event or vessel delay that could markedly increase the number of vehicles that need to use the lot.” Additionally, repairs to the SSA’s Vineyard Haven pier scheduled in early 2027 is expected to cause “additional logistical challenges at that space, which will be exacerbated by staging standby travelers.”
Ted Gavin, the Vineyard board representative, said “as long as the Blue Line is done according to the actual policy, and we can get rid of the variability,” it should solve many of Islanders’ issues.
But Gavin noted he was “disheartened” that Woods Hole’s public outcry against standby stemmed from the July 4 weekend in 1995. Gavin told The Times that the number of people who showed up with vehicles to take a boat on a standby basis “basically shut down Woods Hole for several days,” and the reservation system was made in response to this situation. Gavin said some residents seem to be worried it could happen again if standby returns.
“It’s like boxing smoke. You can’t connect with an argument like that,” Gavin said at the meeting.
The SSA plans to revisit standby after it’s torn down its temporary buildings in Woods Hole, and the Vineyard Haven pier work is completed.
In other news, the board unanimously approved 2027 schedules for SSA routes. While the Nantucket route schedule was unanimously approved in full, the Vineyard route was only greenlit for the segment of the schedule between Jan. 6 and May 17. It was approved in a 4-0-1 vote, with Jeffrey’s abstention. The board plans to revisit the matter at its next board meeting after gathering more information regarding the 5:30 am boat out of Woods Hole, a longtime complaint for residents of the Cape village. The approved portion of the Vineyard schedule doesn’t have 5:30 am boats.
The SSA also drafted a report outlining the possible alternatives to including the early morning trip in its 2027 schedule. Gavin noted a need to understand the demand from Vineyard businesses and healthcare providers on the Vineyard for the early morning ferry and whether a slightly later time would be a logistical issue.
