The Steamship Authority is considering a Nantucket route for the new $40 million ferry Woods Hole, now under construction in Louisiana, boat line governor Marc Hanover told the county commission last week.

Mr. Hanover offered an update on several projects to the commission, which is his appointing authority, at a meeting last Thursday.

Explaining that the privately-owned Hy-Line ferry will only operate a high-speed boat to Nantucket this year, eliminating the conventional ferry it has run in previous years. Mr. Hanover said this may result in more traffic on the SSA’s traditional ferry route to Nantucket. As a result, the Woods Hole, which is designed to carry freight, cars and passengers, may be assigned to the route.

“They are hoping the Woods Hole can go to Hyannis and we can keep three large boats on this side,” Mr. Hanover said. “We really don’t know what to expect when HyLine no longer runs slow boats.”

The Woods Hole is expected to begin ferry service in the summer of 2016.

Steamship Authority governors hold their monthly meeting on Nantucket today.

In other boat line news last week, Mr. Hanover reported that lower fuel costs have saved the SSA $390,000 to date, but said the savings were absorbed by $970,000 in unbudgeted expenses. “Vineyard Haven pilings were $400,000 more than anticipated or budgeted,” he said. “The changes in Vineyard Haven were $250,000 for the parking lot. Improvements on the Island Home needed $400,000 more work. That money was needed.”

The future of the long-term parking lot in Woods Hole is in question, he said. The SSA rents the lot from the town of Falmouth at an annual cost of $210,000. About 300 vehicles, most of them owned by Island residents, use the back lot. But Falmouth town officials are now considering using all or part of the lot for public parking, to provide easier access to Woods Hole visitors, merchants and workers.

“I don’t know how this is going to play out,” Mr. Hanover told county commissioners. He noted that the town has no legal access except at the back end of the lot. The SSA owns the land nearest the terminal, where people currently take a shuttle into the parking area and exit in their vehicles. “I don’t think the town of Falmouth has taken into consideration policing, maintenance, cleaning, security. I would like to work out some kind of a deal back there. I’m not sure how that would come about. We’re being patient,” the Vineyard governor said.

This year the SSA issued annual parking permits only until Dec. 31, when the parking lot lease ends.

Work on the Vineyard Haven terminal staging lot is complete, Mr. Hanover said. The spring project included removing the shelter along Water street, and creating two travel lanes in the temporary pick-up and drop-off parking area. The project also added another ticket booth and travel lane at the entrance of the lot.

“I’m watching it, Mr. Hanover said. “I haven’t seen anything backed up yet, definitely getting traffic off the street. The only problem is we have two lanes exiting, and they’re holding up traffic, so it’s taking longer to unload the boat.”

Mr. Hanover also said the SSA may adjust freight boat scheduling this year.

“There’s an issue in Tisbury with large trucks coming off the boat early in the morning, clogging up Five Corners,” he said. “We’re talking about moving some of the early morning freight boats to Oak Bluffs. It would be far less intrusive.”