The following letter was sent to the Steamship Authority:

I appreciate the chance to provide comment. For many years I used to attend the SSA meetings on a regular basis and have long felt that transportation issues are some of the most pressing facing the Islands. Previous commitments as well as age and arthritis prevent me from attending today, and I have asked Catherine Bumpus to hand you this communication as well as read it into the record.

As you are all well aware, in 1960 the SSA structure was set up by the commonwealth as a state-sheltered monopoly; since then 55 years have passed by, mostly on a firm fiscal footing, although early deficits had to be made up by assessments from the member communities. In fact, as many are unaware, or have forgotten, any future budget shortfalls will have to be made up by the participating communities (that means you and me). In 1960 the mission was, and still is, to provide for “adequate transportation of persons and necessaries of life for the Islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.” Please note that carefully. In recent years the SSA appears to have suffered from mission creep, a tendency which is growing.

Some years back, Wayne Lamson, always a much respected, thoughtful and competent, careful member of management, was appointed as the general manager. In spite of his firm hand on the reins (or perhaps he is complicit) the tendency to grow and expand has, unfortunately increased. Today Islanders are asking the SSA to reconsider the increase in fares recently announced and instituted. In fact, it is not the increase in fares that should concern us. After all, prices do increase over time — the cost of your cup of coffee has risen and so has your Comcast bill. What are the really important issues and ones that all Islanders as well as residents of port towns should be concerned about are the current capital expansion/improvement plans.

Over the past couple of years the Islander was scrapped as the Island Home (known by many as the Broken Home) came on line. The Island Home was a huge cost, and she is both expensive to operate and unwieldy in bad weather. Recently plans to scrap the Governor were announced along with plans to order a new vessel. The eventual design selection was revealed to be a single-ended vessel although the double-ended vessels have been consistently found to be both efficient and more easily operated in the crowded waters of Vineyard Sound and local harbors (and not totally incapable of running to Nantucket). I should note that the Governor runs with little fuss, virtually no wake, and economically. It may not be as comfy as some of the other boats but it is very cost effective, easily loaded and on a 45-minute ride you don’t need the comforts of a cruise ship. However, with little fuss a contract was signed for her replacement with the cost announced at $40 million.

Concurrent with this, plans to revamp (in fact a complete makeover) of the Woods Hole terminal surfaced. The design has caused great distress in Falmouth, particularly in the small seaside community of Woods Hole, where the boats are docked. The impact of the proposed design is going to be enormous. It is worth noting that Woods Hole is the home of a world class group of scientific institutions which fit almost seamlessly into the fabric of the community due to careful planning and satellite campuses, as well as land use constraints, and because the seasonal fluctuations in use do not impact the community as does the SSA. The cost of this new megaplex is a mind-blowing $62 million with a further $6 million to move the offices. A contract has been signed on this as well. In other words, in just a few strokes of the managerial pen, the SSA has committed itself to over $100 million in debt, bonded yes, but still debt. And as I recall, everything to do with the SSA bonding is veiled behind a wall of secrecy. It should be public information.

I won’t mention other capital projects because I don’t know anything about them, and I am not sure how, or even if, they will affect Woods Hole or the Vineyard (and potentially Nantucket) as these two projects do. I’m also not sure how they will affect the budget, or whether they will exacerbate and increase the mission creep that has been occurring and which takes the SSA far beyond the original purposes of the 1960 set up.

It is unfortunate that our member Marc Hanover, who has served now for over 10 years, has done little to encourage public input into the decision-making process. I have no idea of how to contact him (does anyone?) and since few of us have the time, or the inclination, to attend the monthly meetings (and would have little impact if we did), it would serve the Islands better if the member proactively went out into the Island towns to solicit input — perhaps even had a part-time office, or a publicly known way to communicate.

It isn’t too late. He should be meeting periodically with the boards of selectmen, the planning boards, and even members of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. It is not too late, and he should do it now. Since the publicly reported justifications for the two projects mentioned above appear to be both unrealistic and exaggerated, the members, once a new member is in place from Falmouth, and management should seriously consider pressing the stop button on the two big projects mentioned above and consider less grandiose, more realistic work-arounds. Doing so will cost money for canceled contracts, but doing without these two hugely costly and ambitious projects could keep the SSA on a realistic financial footing.

Virginia C. Jones
West Tisbury