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The Steamship Authority port council voted 3-1 to approve the proposed Martha’s Vineyard ferry program for 2022 at a Zoom meeting on Thursday morning. The schedule includes a seasonal cargo boat at 5:30 a.m. which continues to be a source of division between the ferry line and the residents of Woods Hole. The only dissenting vote was that of board member Rob Munier, who was concerned about how Falmouth would be affected, and Mark Rees abstained from the vote, saying it was appropriate to remain neutral since he is a representative from Fairhaven.
Steamship Authority chief executive Robert Davis said the council plans to solicit bids for those interested in conducting licensed freight operations from New Bedford or another port off Cape Town to Martha’s Vineyard.
According to Davis, advertisements for the 2022-2023 ferry times for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket have appeared on his website and in newspapers. However, the 5.30am ferry caught the attention of Falmouth residents and led to a petition signed by 103 people against the times. The problem is that freight is moving early in the morning and the disruption it causes to people living near and along the road to the Woods Hole Terminal. SSA conducted an analysis of its ferry traffic and even considered moving the entire schedule forward by 30 minutes.
“If we were to move these vehicles to other voyages, we would have a domino effect in terms of which vehicles can go on which ships,†Davis said. He mentioned how a schedule change like this would affect bus connections and commuters. Davis also said that maintaining the 5:30 a.m. schedule distributed traffic better.
Munier expressed concern about how Falmouth would be affected by the amount of traffic and noise. He said this caused some Falmouth residents to develop an ‘us versus them’ mentality towards Martha’s Vineyard.
“We have to be creative,†Munier said. “We need to come up with broader solutions and have more strategic views in the years to come. ”
The harbor council vote is a recommendation. The schedule is finally approved by the SSA Board of Directors, which meets on September 28.
Council member John Cahill noted that Martha’s Vineyard has experienced a 25% population increase since 2010, which would be part of what is pushing more trucks and traffic to the island. He also highlighted how Falmouth and Martha’s Vineyard officials must work together to resolve the issues they face, referring to the hostile attitude he has seen some Falmouth officials express about the island.
“The problem is on both sides,†Cahill said.
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