Final designs for a new Steamship Authority ferry and terminal in Woods Hole are underway. General manager Wayne C. Lamson said the new designs should be ready and presented at next month's board of governors meeting.
The Steamship Authority governors Tuesday voted to go forward with designs for a new freight ferry with a capacity for 384 people.
For almost a year, the SSA has been looking at plans for fleet replacement, beginning with replacing the freight ferry Governor. In August, the board opted in favor of a 235-foot freight vessel similar in size to the ferry Martha’s Vineyard, but asked for price comparisons between a boat with a 384-person capacity and a 512-person capacity.
Catherine Norton was appointed by the Falmouth selectmen in mid-January. She pledges to listen to all the stakeholders in the state-chartered boat line that is the lifeline to the two Islands.
Port town coffers are helped thanks to 50-cent ferry embarkation fee. Money is used for everything from summer traffic cops to harbor dredging and public safety budgets.
Steamship Authority governors will wait for the appointment of a new Falmouth governor before resuming discussion on the Woods Hole terminal reconstruction plans.
On a busy Thanksgiving weekend of travel, Steamship Authority ferry service was disrupted Friday and Saturday due to mechanical problems on the ferry Martha’s Vineyard.
As the Steamship Authority embarks on a major reconstruction plan for its Woods Hole terminal, village residents are raising concerns about aesthetics and increased traffic. They want to put New Bedford service back on the table for discussion.
Robert S. Marshall, the Steamship Authority governor representing Falmouth, resigned from the board last week. He sent his resignation to the Falmouth selectmen late Thursday evening, following a public meeting in Woods Hole about the proposed terminal redesign there.
The Steamship Authority will increase rates for parking and some freight trucks on the Martha’s Vineyard route next year. Meeting Tuesday morning at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven, the boat line board of governors unanimously approved an $85.3 million 2014 operating budget.
The Steamship Authority is considering increases to parking and freight fares for the Martha’s Vineyard route to offset a projected rise in the cost of service. The SSA management proposed that the additional revenue should come from rate increases on the Martha’s Vineyard route.
