Boat Line Forum Pushes Plan to Boost Passenger Traffic with Fast
Ferries

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

A plan to pump up passenger traffic to the Vineyard and pay millions
of dollars to develop the port of New Bedford in the years ahead was
pitched to the people of the Island this week as a way to increase
operating revenues for the public boat line, reduce car traffic in the
port towns of Falmouth and Hyannis and open up more space on ferries for
Island residents.

"We have to realize we are part of a transportation network,
and it seems to me that our task has to be to improve transportation to
the Islands. We need to think about how we can make it easier to get to
the Islands," said outgoing SSA general manager Armand Tiberio.

"The potential for profitability on the run to New Bedford is
tremendous," said Vineyard Steamship Authority governor J.B. Riggs
Parker.

The remarks were made before an overflow crowd of Island residents
who turned out for a public hearing on Tuesday night.

What was billed as an open forum for discussion turned out to be a
protracted session of show and tell that dragged on for hours, with only
scant time left at the end for comment from workaday Island residents.

"Goodness, I am glad so many people came tonight. I think
it's a great showing. We need your guidance. We need your
comments," said Mr. Parker at the outset of the public hearing
held in the Oak Bluffs School.

More than 250 people attended, although dozens of people left the
meeting after more than two hours went by, and still Mr. Parker had not
called for public comment.

The meeting began with a dense presentation by Mr. Tiberio that
included a read-along, 50-page information booklet distributed with
other materials.

Using charts, graphs and statistics, Mr. Tiberio described a plan to
shift the boat line from what he called a vehicle-directed system to a
passenger-directed system.

He described an aging ferry fleet that he said needs modernizing. He
said parking lots in Falmouth are full and cannot be expanded. He
described flattening passenger and car traffic to the Vineyard and the
need to boost revenues to meet increased operating costs.

He said the solution may lie in the development of the New Bedford
port for passenger and freight service. He described a proposal to
replace the passenger ferry Schamonchi with an $8 million high-speed
passenger ferry, and another proposal to buy a $12 million mid-speed
freight vessel for the New Bedford run.

At the center of the new model is a plan to increase passenger
traffic to the Vineyard.

"If traffic is not increased to generate additional revenue
… and our service levels stay the same, fares will have to be
increased," declared a fact sheet prepared by Mr. Parker in the
information packet.

Mr. Tiberio promoted the port of New Bedford for its easy access.

"This [high-speed] service is not for the residents of
Martha's Vineyard. It is for those people who are coming to
Martha's Vineyard," he said.

After the presentation went on for more than an hour and a half, one
resident in the back of the room asked Mr. Tiberio to stop. "Will
you please conclude your remarks? We would like to hear others,"
she said.

The room erupted in applause.

Mr. Parker then called upon public officials, who took up another
half an hour with their statements. Several said they support the plan
to promote more passenger traffic to the Vineyard.

"Growth is inevitable," declared Oak Bluffs selectman
Todd Rebello.

Chilmark selectman Warren Doty praised the plan to run SSA freight
service between New Bedford and the Vineyard and also the plan for
high-speed passenger service.

"I think we've learned how important it is to look to
the future. The Steamship Authority can't have tunnel vision, it
must look down the road," Mr. Leland said.

West Tisbury selectman Cynthia Mitchell outlined a five-point set of
recommendations adopted by the Dukes County Selectmen's
Association in connection with the service model.

Only Oak Bluffs selectman Roger Wey appeared to be in a questioning
frame of mind, quizzing Mr. Tiberio about the wisdom of replacing the
Schamonchi with a high-speed passenger ferry when passenger traffic is
flat.

"If there is no growth on the route, how is there enough
growth to support a fast ferry - that is my concern," Mr.
Wey said.

After two and a half hours it was time for ordinary citizens to
speak - and there was a noticeable change in tone.

"I am somewhat disturbed with this kind of a document, because
the numbers always look good on paper," said Tisbury resident Bob
Hammond, referring to the SSA information packet. Mr. Hammond held in
his hand another sheaf of papers that he said told the story of a
fast-ferry project in the Puget Sound - a project he said was
fraught with environmental problems and huge cost overruns.

"I urge everybody to be very careful about this whole
thing," Mr. Hammond said, adding: "I also am disappointed
that you didn't offer us more options. We are suddenly steamrolled
down this path and you are heaping all of this on us and I urge everyone
to look at this carefully."

One West Tisbury resident who did not identify herself asked for an
Islandwide referendum on the boat line issues - but Mr. Parker
said it would be too difficult to construct the language for a ballot
question.

"But the Steamship Authority is supposedly our lifeline and
you wanted our input," the woman replied.

"You said earlier that there is very little growth in traffic,
with the ridership down. I don't see how speed will solve the
problem. The last time I saw speed looked to as an answer was the
Concorde. I hope we are not looking at spending this kind of money
before we are sure of the ridership," said Chilmark resident
Edward Miller.

"I hear you saying that growth is inevitable, and that is
especially true if you make it easier and easier to come to
Martha's Vineyard. But why make it easier and easier?" said
Chilmark resident Rick Shweder. Pointing to the numbers in the
information packet, Mr. Shweder said the boat line plan calls for a
dramatic increase in passenger traffic to make the service pay for
itself.

"So in order to get there you need to bring more and more
people to the Vineyard. This is not in and of itself good," Mr.
Shweder said. He added: "I would suggest that there is a delicate
equilibrium on Islands like Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and
those issues have not been brought out here at all. Easy parking, fast
terminal, easy on and easy off. So we are setting up a Steamship
Authority that will bring more passengers so it can pay for those
ferries"

Mr. Parker replied:

"If you are willing to achieve the goal of making more space
on the boats for Island residents - that is the reason this
service is being proposed." The remark stirred expressions of
disbelief around the room.

Steve Bernier, a respected Vineyard businessman, challenged both the
boat line and Island officials.

"I would like to rock the boat," said Mr. Bernier,
making a pun on a popular button worn by Island residents at a state
house hearing two years ago.

"This service model sounds like Santa Claus and Christmastime,
and at some point we are going to have to get into the economics of this
business," he said, adding: "And I am going to say one
thing: No more people, no more vehicles. We have to take care of the
golden egg."

Mr. Bernier pointed to Bermuda as an example of an island that has
voluntary limits. Mr. Bernier, who is a successful grocery merchant,
pointedly questioned the business side of the boat line plan. He said:
"Look at the economics. These are huge changes and there are costs
associated with them that I don't think we are even beginning to
talk about."

He concluded: "We are getting to the end of our growth on
Martha's Vineyard, and we have got to talk about slowing things
down. Enough is enough. We need a different model, or we are going to
break the golden egg. I say enough is enough - no more traffic. I
would like the selectmen to please listen - and do something. Get
some people together, build a team and take a careful economic approach
to this - please."

Noreen Mavro Flanders, a lifelong Vineyard resident who is the
county treasurer, urged Mr. Parker to listen to the people. She also
recalled Mr. Parker's remarks at a county commission meeting
earlier this summer. "At that meeting I heard you say you are a
servant of the legislature. All of us look to you to be our
representative and not just to be an employee of the legislature. You
are our representative and I look to you to act like it," Ms.
Flanders said, drawing applause.

Mr. Parker replied: "I do listen. I have attended over 150
meetings and I have listened carefully. It does not mean that I agree
with what everyone said. I have to make decisions about what I think is
best for the whole Island and for the Steamship Authority."