DOT Meeting Regarding Rocky Hill Ferry's Fee Increase Will Be May 20

Friends of the  CT River Ferries,

The Deparment of Transportation proposes to double the fares on both CT River ferries. We oppose these increases.

DOT has set 2 meetings to hear from you. Please attend! http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?A=1373&Q=522372

May 20th Rocky Hill Community Center 6:30-9 p.m. Room 1 May 22nd  Chester meeting House 6:30-9 p.m. 

Thanks to our friends in Chester, who have started an online petition. Please sign it. http://signon.org/sign/oppose-doubling-connecticut?source=c.url&r_by=6128265 

Need more information:The following background was supplied by Ferry Historian Peter Maxwell:

Raising rates was tried by DOT in August of 2003. The fares were abruptly raised from $2.25 to $5 per car, $0.75 to $3 per passenger, $1.12 commuter fares became $5. Ridership dropped so much that less money was generated.  

Last week DOT ridership numbers were provided to all of us (no revenue numbers were included).  This verifies the loss of ridership: for the balance of 2003 Chester-Hadlyme ridership was 55% of 2004 numbers;  at Rocky Hill-Glastonbury it was 22%. Combined ridership was 44.7% of 2003.  
In the fall of 2003 and spring of 2004 members of the Connecticut River Ferry Preservation Association lobbied hard to undo the damage.   Fares were established at $3 vehicles / $2 commuter vehices / $1 pedestrians & cyclists, with the idea that this was a sufficient increase that would not need to be adjusted in the future. Ridership at the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry returned to normal seasonal levels. 

Meanwhile, failure to provide normal staffing levels at the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry from 2008-2011 resulted in Monday closures and frequent other closures. Nobody knew when the Ferry was running. Obviously ridership has plummeted.   

It's time to stop pretending that the public will ride the Ferries no matter how much they have to pay for the privilege.   Per statute 13a-252, "the ferries shall be maintained and operated by the Commissioner of Transportation at the expense of the state".  

It was the intent in 1917 to continue to provide this public service, as necessary links across the river that divides our state in two.   It was not intended that the ferries would be self-sufficient.  No other river crossings charge tolls.  

It's time to focus on providing reliable service at both locations and publicly promoting the ferries  - generate additional revenue by maximizing their use.  

This is what the public committees recommended to the DOT in February 2012.  We're waiting for appropriate actions.
 
See you at the meetings
Ed Chiucarello Friend of the CT River Ferries