Wealthy Martha's Vineyard locals furious over plans to raise prices of one of the only links to the mainland
Martha's Vineyard residents are fuming after learning ferry fares from the ritzy island to mainland Massachusetts may see a stark increase.
The Steamship Authority (SSA), which oversees ferry rides to and from Martha's Vineyard, may be hiking up ticket prices for islanders under a draft plan first reported by the Vineyard Gazette.
While fare rates vary depending on the season, the SSA has long offered discounted rates for locals who rely on the ferry for essential services.
'It's like our highway. It's how we get to medical appointments, to dental appointments, to veterinary appointments,' Beth O'Connor, a resident of the coastal enclave, told the Daily Mail.
She explained that while there is a hospital on the island, it has 'limited services.'
'We have to take the ferry. We cannot get to the other side without a ferry,' she said.
Based on current rates only available to locals, a round-trip ferry ride with a car, two adults and two kids costs $73 off-season and $106 in-season.
But the same trip for a family of tourists could cost up to $320 during the prime May to September season.
Outraged Martha's Vineyard (pictured) residents are fighting back after learning ferry fares from the ritzy island to mainland Massachusetts may see a stark increase
Beth O'Connor (pictured), a resident of the coastal enclave, said fare increases would impact the working-class year-round residents of Martha's Vineyard
The Gazette reported that decreased ridership over the years has left the SSA with no other option than to raise prices.
Other proposed changes include limiting the number of annual excursion trips per user and implementing 'dynamic' fares, according to SSA Citizens' Action Group, a Facebook community frustrated with the Authority.
'This is not careful planning, controlling overspending or brainstorming solutions to capacity issues that result in lost revenue,' the group wrote.
'This is balancing the budget on the backs of Islanders—the very people the SSA is supposed to serve.'
O'Connor said that despite Martha's Vineyard's luxurious reputation, many of its year-round residents are working-class people in need of affordable transportation.
She also pointed to several flaws with the system used to make reservations and constant trip cancellations.
Travelers 'can't get reservations' but then trips are canceled because the boats are not filled up.
'The system is broken down and there's no fix in sight,' O'Connor told the Daily Mail. 'We are stuck hostage on the island and [the SSA] is losing money.'
The ferry (pictured) is the only connection to mainland Massachusetts. Without it, O'Connor said residents are 'hostages' on the island
Ferry prices from Martha's Vineyard change depending on the season (pictured: boats off the coast of the island)
She asserted that if boats were properly filled, there would not be a need to jack up ticket prices.
There has been consistent SSA 'mismanagement' that has led up to this point, the fed-up resident added.
'If the line were managed efficiently, I think everyone would understand that the price of eggs has gone up, so the price of ferries has gone up, right? I think that would be very palatable.'
But SSA officials told the Daily Mail that residents are getting ahead of themselves, as the draft plans have not been finalized.
'There have been no announced price adjustments,' SSA Communications Director and Records Access Officer Sean Driscoll wrote to the Daily Mail.
'The 2026 proposed draft operating budget has not been finalized so it's premature to say or discuss any rate adjustments at this time.'
Dukes County SSA Board Chair James Malkin wrote that leadership is 'looking at cost saving measures, strategic steps to meet public demand, and alternative fare structures to serve the traveling public.'
But he emphasized the fact that no changes have been made and the community will be involved in determining the 'most equitable way to manage the cost of serving its customers.'
The SSA denied claims that islanders' fares will be hiked up (pictured: the Martha's Vineyard coast)
The Daily Mail explicitly asked about the Gazette's assertion that excursion ticket prices 'will almost certainly go up next year.' Both SSA officials denied this claim.
'I can’t speak for the Gazette’s reporting. There have been no announced rate adjustment proposals for 2026,' Driscoll said.
'I do not know [where the Gazette got this information] but suspect the assumption is the fact that excursion rates (for island residents) have not gone up for many years while regular fares have increased,' Malkin added.
