<p>Amid heightened concern from Island residents about summer vehicle congestion, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission hosted a wide-ranging discussion with Steamship Authority leaders late last week.</p>
Amid heightened concern from Island residents about summer vehicle congestion and the proposed Woods Hole terminal plans, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission hosted a wide-ranging discussion with Steamship Authority leaders late last week to discuss recent data and pose questions about Island ridership and ferry usage.
MVC executive director Adam Turner (second from right) and commission chairman Jim Vercruysse (third from right) led discussion.
MVC executive director Adam Turner (second from right) and commission chairman Jim Vercruysse (third from right) led discussion.
“We see this as an initial meeting meant to foster a productive relationship with the Steamship Authority,” commission chairman Jim Vercruysse said at the outset of the meeting held Thursday at the Olde Stone building in Oak Bluffs.
“It will be better all around if people know more about what we do and how we do it,” general manager of the Steamship Authority Bob Davis agreed.
In a presentation, commission executive director Adam Turner said data provided to the MVC by the boat line dating to 1990 shows a steady growth in both passenger and vehicle trips to the Island over the past three decades.
Since 1990, the SSA has had a roughly 30,000-person average yearly increase in passenger traffic on the Vineyard route, Mr. Turner said. Since 2011, the SSA has carried 15,000 more cars on the Vineyard route, from 180,000 in 2011 to almost 195,000 this year. Meanwhile, peak seasonal passenger volume has steadily grown from 1.1 million in 2008 to 1.3 million in 2018, making this year the third busiest on record.
About half of all traffic volume occurs between June and September, Mr. Turner said. Over the past three decades, the percentage of people and cars carried between June and September has stayed steady, around 55 per cent for passengers and 45 per cent for automobiles.
The SSA has added 400,000 passengers since 2005, 200,000 of them seasonal.
“It actually is relatively consistent,” Mr. Turner said, speaking about the seasonal volume breakdown for passengers carried. “It varies a little bit but there are no outliers that showed up,” he added.
“When you realize that fifty per cent of their business is seasonal, it helps to understand what they’re dealing with,” Mr. Turner said.
One area of significant growth has been in truck volume, with 38,000 more trucks carried on the Vineyard route since 2005. The number went from 98,000 to 136,000 trucks in that time period. Although the SSA stopped classifying noncommercial trucks as automobiles in 2009, there still has been an approximately 20,000 increase in truck numbers since then.
Noting the growth, Mr. Turner said: “Does that just indicate that more people are buying large SUVs and trucks, or does it mean something else?”
The annual growth rate for trucks is 38 per cent while the seasonal growth rate is 37 per cent, the commission found. Both Mr. Turner and Mr. Davis agreed that the increase can likely be tracked to an increase in commercial truck traffic.
“These are probably vehicles to service the Island,” Mr. Turner said. “The Island businesses and lumberyards do business all year round.”
After the data presentation, commissioners peppered Mr. Davis and Steamship Authority governor Marc Hanover with concerns about summer traffic congestion on the Island.
Steamship Authority general manager Bob Davis (left) and Vineyard governor Marc Hanover represented the boat line.
Steamship Authority general manager Bob Davis (left) and Vineyard governor Marc Hanover represented the boat line.
“Has the number of trips increased because of demand?” asked commissioner Richard Toole. Commissioner Fred Hancock echoed the sentiment, asking whether the SSA’s carrying capacity has changed over the years.
“Is there a policy about capacity, because that’s one of the things that’s a big concern on the Island,” he said.
Mr. Davis responded that the Steamship Authority’s charter forces it to meet consumer demand.
“In 2004, we were running at 86 per cent occupancy,” Mr. Davis said. “This past year we were at 81.2 per cent. Overall we’ve been fairly consistent running at around 80 per cent occupancy.”
Commissioners also voiced concern about the Steamship Authority’s $1 million advertising budget and Woods Hole parking prices.
“Do you use parking to subsidize other operations?” commissioner Ben Robinson asked. “I would imagine operating a parking lot is much cheaper than running a boat.”
Mr. Davis said the SSA has to budget to advertise schedule changes and boat cancellations. He said they have explored variable pricing for parking and potential lot improvements in Woods Hole.
Some commissioners noted the conflicting missions of the two state-chartered agencies, each with it own unique powers.
“You’re charged with bringing people here, we’re charged with protecting the Island,” Mr. Vercruysse said. “They’re at odds with one another. Have you ever thought that there might be, at some point, an arm wrestling match?”
But Mr. Hanover said there are areas of common ground. The SSA does not make money from cars and trucks, he said.
“It’s a wash,” the Vineyard boat line governor said, speaking about profits from vehicle fares. “They make money from walk-on passengers. I’m assuming from what I’ve been hearing lately is that we want more walk-on passengers and fewer vehicles, so we are going to come up with ways to encourage people to leave their cars.”
There was discussion about the need for a more seamless public transportation and bus system and about the breakdown between excursion and nonexcursion fares.
Mr. Hanover reiterated a remark he had made at the monthly boat line meeting earlier in the week, suggesting that it is not within the power of the SSA to limit traffic on the Vineyard route.
“The Steamship Authority is not a zoning board, we can’t refuse anybody,” Mr. Hanover said. “That’s why we want to talk. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all figure this out and perhaps bring less cars and make money from the passengers?”
He concluded: “Eventually we are coming up to a bottleneck. If the Island keeps growing, I don’t know how much more it can grow.”
Comments
Can the Steamship Authority
Wolf EdgartownCan the Steamship Authority explain how it wants to encourage more foot traffic on the boats (that seems to be the source of their profit) by increasing parking fees by 30%+? Isn't that just convincing folks to take their cars over instead?
I applaud the MVC for
john EdgartownI applaud the MVC for starting this conversation as we all know that there are way too many cars on the island in the summer.
While it is true that the “The Steamship Authority is not a zoning board, we can’t refuse anybody,” Mr. Hanover said., it does not need to be continually adding boats to meet demand.
And I would be curious about their 80% occupancy rates. What is the breakdown in occupancy between the summer and the off season? Are they using low winter occupancy rates to offset the full capacity in the summer and make their numbers look better?
Interesting article. However,
Kevin Parham Plymouth & Oak Bluffs, MAInteresting article. However, I'm curious about a statement made by the Vineyard boat-line governor, specifically, having to do with profits (or lack, thereof) earned through vehicle traffic.
He states that: "It's a wash," and "They make money from walk-on passengers." Well, if that's true, then why does the SSA procure larger (more expensive) vessels to transport vehicle traffic to the island? And if walk-on traffic is the SSA's bread & butter, then why not reconfigure the freight deck space on the ferries to accommodate walks-on passengers only? (Probably not a realistic suggestion for the current fleet, but an interesting concept anyway).
Sorry, but I find it difficult to concur with the claim that the SSA merely 'breaks-even' when transporting vehicles. Unless there's a mandate in their Charter that stipulates the provision of vehicle service as a part of conducting business, (and if so, I stand corrected), then why does the SSA maintain a monopoly on vehicle service? Why not open it up to competition as is done with passenger service? (Though we also know that the SSA approves and profits from passenger service provided by other entities)
Make no mistake: There's money to be made through fares charged by the SSA to transport vehicles to the island. Otherwise, they wouldn't be doing it.
Great article. Very
amy west tisGreat article. Very interesting they make their money off the walk on passengers and not the cars. Hopefully that will give some added incentive to listen to all the islanders and tourists who have been complaining about how bad the traffic has gotten. This could be a win-win for everyone as long as there is a real dialogue and problem solving. The SSA could make more $ off the walk-ons and we could live in a less congested traffic place. The infrastructure can't handle it, and it is making me want to rent my house for the summer and go somewhere else to avoid all the traffic.
“It’s a wash,” the Vineyard
WashAbhorred Edgartown“It’s a wash,” the Vineyard boat line governor said, speaking about profits from vehicle fares. “They make money from walk-on passengers. I’m assuming from what I’ve been hearing lately is that we want more walk-on passengers and fewer vehicles, so we are going to come up with ways to encourage people to leave their cars.”
So...to get more walk-ons they raised parking rates by 33%, don't have luggage carts for people, made it harder to bring luggage on their shuttle buses and the new terminal design has almost no space to drop people off.
Seems to me they're doing everything they can to convince people to bring cars over.
From the history books:
From the history booksFrom the history books:
On May 13, 1997 Tisbury voted in the majority on this ballot question:
#1 Should the total number of passenger vehicles brought to Martha’s Vineyard between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends be maintained at 1995 levels, provided adequate additional mainland parking and an expanded all-island transportation system are in place for summer visitors?
Yes 740
No 279
Blanks 51
Similarly, in Edgartown, the voters voted for the vehicle limit:
Ballot Question 15: "Should the total number of passenger vehicles brought to Martha'a Vineyard between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends be maintained to 1995 levels, provided adequate additional mainland parking and an expended all-island transportation system are in place for summer visitors?" (Advisory)
Yes 420
No 175
Blanks 32
Referendum results in 1997 were very similar in the three other towns.
Questions for us in 2018:
1.
Why did the Steamship Authority ignore the clear message of an all=island referendum in 1997 and not limit the number of passenger vehicles the SSA carried to the island between Memorial Day and Labor Day going forward (vehicle numbers carried in 2018 are more than two times the number carried in 1995)?
2.
If Vineyard residents were to vote similarly in a new referendum in 2018 to limit the number of vehicles carried to the island from Memorial Day to Labor Day in future years, would the Steamship Authority simply ignore the will of Vineyard voters once again?
The new terminal isn't the
R Scott Patterson EdgartownThe new terminal isn't the problem, neither is the passenger traffic or big trucks bringing supplies to the island. The problem is that the SSA is bringing too many passenger cars here in July and August and the infrastructure can't handle it!
Sometimes things stray from
BruceinWT WTSometimes things stray from their original purpose. The SSA seems to have strayed big time and now consider themselves a promotional tool to create and carry as much traffic to the island as absoloutley possible. Who decided to spend on TV and print ads? That money/revenue should have been used to develop a mobile app that could easily be used to purchase tickets by walk-ons and to acquire reservations. It is 2018 and the online and mobile presence of the SSA is so 1999.
FYI. The SSA has no intention
JohnFYI. The SSA has no intention of planning for the future based on the wishes of Islanders. They never have & never will. Every public forum is just for show. Time to move to Cuttyhunk.
The island can fuss all they
Patrick Singer Greenville,DE and West ChopThe island can fuss all they want about the volume of passenger traffic and vehicle traffic all they want BUT it's the Seasonal residents who keep the island afloat with the island's Horrible Property Taxes!When my Vineyard Summer home came into our family in 1983 the property taxes were $5,000!Last year we PAID $95,000 in taxes.We paid 87 cents per square foot for taxes in 1983 and PAID $16.67 per square foot this past year!Massachusetts has a Big Sales tax whereas Delaware,where I live 9 months of the year does NOT have a Sales tax and has NEVER had a sales tax!Take a hint!
And how much has the value of
T Bone OBAnd how much has the value of your summer palace increased? Also, I have no desire to adopt whatever Delaware does.
Us Islanders see this all the
Year Round Resident MV and MVUs Islanders see this all the time, and while a few may celebrate a family losing a mansion, most are actually quite sympathetic. It is very hard to see someone who inherited an eight million dollar mansion struggle to keep up on the taxes. There are a lot of memories, and a certain expectation set by those successful earlier generations to keep up the status. Those of us who have been around a while know well that it usually takes three generations for extraordinary wealth to be squandered. In this case, the home came into the family in 1983, so it isn't quite so hard to watch the entitled lose that status. It hasn't been long enough for generations to have built memories of summer on the Vineyard. It can be really hard to see families with great homes that have hosted extended family since the 50s, or even the 30s finally lose their grasp of the good life. These families are mostly modest in their behavior and well mannered. Classy, to put it bluntly. And is stinks to see them go. Usually, it is because they chose to do good things with their lives, rather than focus on earning huge sums of money. This case is a little less sad. I am sorry you aren't able to afford the taxes, which are perfectly reasonable for the mansion. I'm sorry you don't "get" the culture here. If all the beneficiaries of the trust, the offspring of some great great grandparent who made a mint, can agree on a plan of action, I'd suggest selling. You can probably get a very nice beach house in Delaware with your fraction of the loot. Property taxation is modest in Tisbury. The rates are below average for the state, and the bills about average. And by the way, nobody who understands property taxation discusses bills per square foot. Or maybe the do in South South New Jersey.
Booking a parking space at
Curious WTBooking a parking space at the destination is a requirement for car traffic on the new bridge from mainland China to Hong Kong. Could the MV Commission be creatively restrictive of auto traffic to MV by setting up a mechanism with island towns to schedule the use of parking on island? Maybe by charging seasonal visitors appropriately there would be a deterrent to excessive numbers of cars that could end up being a simple supply & demand consideration. I think it would be reasonable to charge enough to sustain an island-wide system, plus transparrent fees that might be used for educational purposes and local environmental health.
A critical idea is that the
Joe EdgartownA critical idea is that the Steamship Authority's charter requires them to meet demand. They are the island's lifeline. And from the perspective of many of the island's businesses they are critical to survival. On the other hand, for many residents, summer traffic is a nightmare. But I'm not sure that the Authority is in a position to manage that problem.
WE badly need Fast Ferry
Stephen G Devine Oak BluffsWE badly need Fast Ferry service out of Woods Hole. I am convinced that you can charge a double fare and the Ferry would still fill up. Please consider implementing this. Going to Hyannis is just not convenient for some of us.
Exploring ideas to give
Todd rebelloExploring ideas to give travelers incentive to leave their cars behind should be the first thing we do. I’ve said before that finding a balance respecting the diff. Needs of all Islanders is the best long term goal. Wether it’s quality if life, affordability, business, or just traveling with your family all have value. Limiting capacity is a double edge sword. Are we prepared to sacrifice accessibility when we need to travel. Are we prepared to lose the excursion rate subsidy that comes from visitors paying $180-$200 round trip. Like many other year rounders I’d like to see less cars and more incentive for visitors to leave the cars in a parking lot. We have to take this slow and estimate what those foot passengers will then choose as transportation to see the island once here. We have to proceed slowly because what we see as our hopes may not be how the state sees it. The one thing I learned over the years is the state legislature doesn’t always see us as victims. They even sometimes see us as a revenue attraction sadly
Totally agree about SSA
R Scott Patterson EdgartownTotally agree about SSA needing to incentivize people leaving their cars and coming over as passengers. When the cost to leave your car in SSA parking and coming to the island for more than a couple days costs more than bringing your car makes zero sense and needs to change.
Sorry folks not matter how
John Cape CodSorry folks not matter how you look at it you cannot restrict passenger & vehicle traffic, just like the Cape cannot restrict the same over our Canal bridges & passenger air/ RR connections. The Cape summer traffic & population continues to get worse every year especially in the last few years now starting on Thursday to Monday morning.The Cape & Islands are promoted as a destination on the Internet world wide by everyone out there in the media,not just the SSA. The ferry capacity and hours of service limit the amount of passengers / vehicles to the Islands by water, but there are also passengers arriving by air to consider as well. Perhaps you would rather have a bridge instead, which would allow 24/7 unlimited access bringing serious traffic and other issues with it to deal with.
Of course they can, there are
R Scott Patterson EdgartownOf course they can, there are plenty of islands that restrict the number of vehicles that are allowed at any one time. Block island for instance, how is it possible for them but impossible for MV?
Go for it then ! MV is no
JOHN Cape CodGo for it then ! MV is no Block Island first of all and good luck with implementing that policy. That has as much chance as setting up a gate at the Canal bridges, so when it reaches a set limit the bridges close. Just deal with it and ride a bike or use public transportation to get around it, as I always have when I visit MV
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