Monday - July 18, 2011

The Bad Ferry Godfather

Fervent faith in ferries fries frustrated folks? Ferry fracas fluffs faithful’s feathers? Foolish fatheads forge fiscal follies?

ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) A round of budget cuts in Connecticut is forcing the nation’s oldest operating ferry to close.

Historical archives say the Rocky Hill Ferry has been crossing the Connecticut River between the towns of Rocky Hill and Glastonbury continuously since 1655.

It is among two historic ferries that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration has put on the chopping block to close a $1.6 billion budget gap.

Historical documents say the ferry began with pole-operated boats run by families from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The state took over its operation in 1915 and Connecticut archivists say it has been in service longer than any other ferry in the United States.

Golly, maybe the government should have left this alone and let free enterprise provide a solution? No, actually I don’t think they could have. The ferry is actually considered part of the road I think, akin to a toll bridge.

The Rocky Hill - Glastonbury Ferry, owned and operated by the State of Connecticut and part of CT Route 160, passes between Ferry Lane, Glastonbury, to Meadow Road, Rocky Hill, during the warm half of the year: usually from April 1 until October 31, river conditions permitting. Usual hours of operation are Monday to Friday: 7:oo AM to 6:45 PM. On Saturday and Sunday it runs from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Usual fees are: $3 per care (including driver) and $1 for each walk-on or biker. (Commuter discount rate with prior purchase of coupon book: $2 per car.)

The 356 year old vector originally was 2 guys with poles and a raft, but these days it’s a 60 foot barge and a little tugboat. According to Connecticut’s own DOT analysis the ferry moves an average of 300 vehicles a day annually, though it’s only open 7 months of the year. That’s 109,500 vehicles, plus pedestrians and cyclists, which means the little 1000 foot float across the river generates at least a quarter million dollars a year in revenue, perhaps as much as half a million. How much more than that does it cost to pay 4 to 6 bargemen and gas up a little 100hp tugboat? Too much, according to Governor Daniel Malloy, who plans to close this ferry and another one like it.

Problem is, there is no other way across. The state never built a bridge there, and the next nearest one is more than 8 miles up the river. Oops.

And speaking of up the river, it may actually be against the law for this little piece of history to be closed. Oops again!

Local and state officials met with concerned citizens in a standing-room only meeting at the Hadlyme Hall Sunday night to discuss the ramifications of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed budget cuts. Malloy’s proposal includes cutting both the Hadlyme-Chester and Rocky Hill-Glastonbury ferry services to help balance the state budget, cuts some argue may be against the law.

Town and state officials, along with a group of concerned citizens, are looking into two state statutes. Statute 13a-252 guarantees the continued operation of the ferries and 13b-31d calls for a public hearing prior to altering or improving a state highway designated as a scenic road. Route 148 and the Connecticut River both fall under the scenic highway designation.

By law the ferries are registered historic structures and thus protected. Perhaps that’s a bit silly, but it’s the law nonetheless.

“It’s not about what ‘makes sense’,” said East Haddam First Selectman Mark Walter. “We have to fight this battle another way; we won’t win at a numbers game.”

Local folks gathered in several town hall meetings to protest the proposed closings. One local man, Edward Chiucarello, even had a protest song to sing.

Dave Scampoli, of the CT River Ferry Preservation Association, was in attendance, along with other board members, to help rally support to preserve the historically significant state ferries.

“There are so many other places to cut the budget,” he said, “the ferry (Rocky Hill-Glastonbury) is a connection back to 1655, before the United States, before the formation of Connecticut, before the Declaration of Independence.”

Connecticut law lets the state set the toll rates, but it says the ferries will be operated at the state’s expense. There is no law that ties the toll revenue the ferries generate to their operating expenses. Gosh, maybe they should do that. Or maybe raise the tolls a little? Or maybe try to renegotiate the bargemen’s contract? There are only 3 ferries in the whole state; how big a local do these guys really have, maybe 2 dozen members at the most? Local articles say the Rocky Hill ferry costs $345,000 per year to run, which means the revenue it generates just about balance it’s costs. If that number is the net cost to the state, then somebody is wasting money somewhere, though to be fair that could include non-amortized expenses like the new barge and the recent river dredging. Yeah, I’d raise tolls a quarter for bikes and 50¢ for cars.

Meanwhile CT Governor Malloy is getting a black eye from having to play the bad ferry godfather. Just wait till the real budget cuts start coming.

extra links in the comments area.

Posted by Drew458     on 07/18/2011 at 11:58 AM   
Filed Under: • planes, trains, tanks, ships, machines, automobiles •  
• Comments (2) • Trackbacks(1)  Permalink •  

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