Business & Tech
Steamship Authority Raises Rates on Parking, Freight for Martha's Vineyard
Parking fees in the Woods Hole and Falmouth Steamship Authority lots are going up Jan. 1, 2014, when freight rates also will rise.
As expected, the board of the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority has approved rate increases for truck travel and all parking at the SSA's Woods Hole and Falmouth lots.
According to the minutes from the SSA board's Oct. 15 meeting in Vineyard Haven:
"Specifically, there will be the following rate increases on the Martha’s Vineyard route, effective January 1, 2014:
(a) Fares for trucks over 20 feet in length will increase by approximately 5.25% year round (this is the first increase in these truck fares since 2007);
(b) The daily fee parking rates in Woods Hole and Falmouth will increase to $10 during the off-season and to $13 during the summer season (these are the first increases in these parking rates since 2008); and
(c) The rates for parking permits at the Woods Hole and Falmouth offsite lots will increase by $25.00.
The Board also approved SSA management’s request to establish additional 'housekeeping' fares for both routes to cover some items that were not currently addressed, namely, three-wheeled motorcycles (which would be charged the same fare as a motorcycle with a side car) and tandem-style bicycles."
Read the full minutes of the SSA board meeting here. Currently, off-season parking costs $8-$10 a day, depending on the lot, and $10-$12 in summer. 'Offsite' annual parking permits for the SSA's Falmouth and Woods Hole lots currently cost $600 a year, according to the authority's website.
Will the increased freight and parking costs be a burden on your business or family budget? Tell us in the comments.