Stories about the Maine State Ferry Service (MSFS) have gone high-profile recently, with rate hikes, parking policies, and service coming up for review in a number of local venues.

As was the case with some of the other communities using the ferries (Swans, Frenchboro, North Haven), Vinalhaven residents recently had the opportunity to talk with representatives of the ferry service at a meeting hosted by Marjorie Stratton, Vinalhaven’s town manager.

Present to speak to 40-some residents at the town office August 25 were Jim MacLeod, Maine State Ferry Service manager; Tracy Perez, director of planning and policy for the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT); and Rick Dubois, Multi-Modal Maintenance Engineer for MDOT.

Earlier in the summer, a 24-question survey (of North Haven origin) appeared in Vinalhaven’s weekly newspaper, The Wind, inviting respondents to assess current ferry policies and services and suggest improvements. The results (142 responded; the majority, 71, were year-rounders), compiled by Alan Barker, MSFS employee at the Vinalhaven terminal and member of the island’s Ferry Advisory Committee, were shared at the meeting.

At a time when summer’s fevered pitch had only just begun to die down, the group present at the town office was admirably patient, attentive, and articulate. As Clarence Conway, a lifelong Vinalhaven resident, put it, “You [the ferry service] are doing a real nice job; now just do a little better.”

Strong feelings about the rising costs associated with the ferry were apparent, however. In her Wind column, Stratton later said, “Most of the comments and questions revolved around the charges for parking in the Rockland lot and about the recent increases in ticket prices. I’m not sure if we resolved anything, but there were a lot of good ideas.”

Residents voiced frustration with the frequent inability during summer months to find a parking space in the terminal lot after having paid for a permit. The ferry service currently sells space to the general public by the day as well as making the same spaces available to those with a prepaid seasonal permit.

Having a permit does not guarantee an available spot. Islanders with permits complained that when the lot is full, they have the last-minute hassle of finding and paying for parking elsewhere.

Some spoke in favor of a parking garage being built, which could accommodate more vehicles and alleviate the problem of getting snowed in during winter months. Making things worse this year, for the first time there will also be a charge for off-season parking in the Rockland lot (although not at any other terminal).

The recent fare hikes are not popular with islanders either. No one denied the price of fuel has gone up, but just as operating costs have risen for the ferry service, so have expenses for islanders.

MacLeod emphasized that current legislation limits the state funding to 50 percent of operating costs. Without a change to the law, where can the ferry service get additional monies besides the fare box and parking fees?

Possibilities mentioned were higher summer and lower winter fares and commuter discounts. Islanders say the increases are hard to budget for; they are caught between a rock and a hard place.

Stratton says it’s time to “start thinking outside the box. We have to cut costs or the fares will continue to increase … There is no free lunch.”

Ideas raised at the Vinalhaven meeting included: selling food and beverages on board; charging per carry-on bag for walk-on passengers; charging less for bicycles, doing more online; offering Maine island specialty license plates that would benefit the state ferry system; selling advertising space on ferries; selling the naming rights to ferries; saving money by dropping ferry trips at less-utilized times.

Another suggestion for trips that are almost empty was to run one ferry to North Haven, then a smaller ferry across the Thorofare to Vinalhaven.