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The cancellation of many state ferry trips last year was frustrating for people who live and work on some of Maine’s biggest island communities.
Now, their exasperation is making waves in Augusta, where elected lawmakers from numerous coastal communities have proposed a flurry of bills that aim to improve or expand the Maine State Ferry Service, which serves islands off the midcoast and Hancock County.
Nine different bills that would alter the ferry service appeared in the initial list of titles that legislators requested this session, such as one that would study the feasibility of a new route to Monhegan, another that would expand service to Matinicus and a third that would give retired employees of the service lifetime passes to use it.
That’s a marked increase from other recent legislative sessions, which have typically seen just one or two ferry-related bills, if any, requested by lawmakers at the outset.
While it’s unclear how many of the latest proposals will actually get taken up by lawmakers, the volume of them reflects newfound local concern about the condition of the ferry service, which has struggled with staffing gaps and maintenance issues over the last year even as it looks to make other big changes that include the adoption of hybrid and electric-capable vessels.
It’s also considering a controversial change to where ferries berth overnight, from the islands to the mainland. The stated goal of shifting berthing to the mainland would be to provide better work-life balance for ferry crews and improve staffing, but island officials have criticized the plan due to concerns over islanders’ ability to use the ferries for emergency medical purposes at night.
Rep. Lydia Crafts, D-Newcastle, who chairs the Legislature’s transportation committee which would take a first look at the new bills, hasn’t yet seen the language for many of them, but she said it’s a good sign that so many have been proposed.
“I think island residents and folks who are involved with the ferry service come to reach out to their legislators, and we see, I think, an increased number of bills coming forward as a result of that,” Crafts said. “And I frankly think that that’s a fantastic sign, because it allows our committee to then have the conversation about what the state should be and can be doing to provide ferry service.”
Crafts has also sponsored the bill that would require Maine to study the feasibility of extending state ferry service to Monhegan, which is now served by only private boat lines.
Such an expansion could help Monhegan residents gain better access to the mainland while also forcing the state to take a more critical look at cost-effective and lower-carbon options for services to other islands, according to Crafts. She said since cars aren’t allowed on Monhegan, its ferry wouldn’t need to transport motor vehicles and therefore would require less energy.
“I wanted to open that conversation, like, are there new ways the ferry service could provide that infrastructure, that critical access for island communities in a different way, and does Monhegan ultimately fit into that model?” Crafts said.
Among the other proposed legislation are a study of the delivery of emergency medical services to island communities and the creation of a scholarship fund for ferry workers to attend Maine Maritime Academy in Castine.
Rep. Michael Ray, D-Lincolnville, who proposed creating the scholarship fund, said that it would help address the staffing shortages at the Maine State Ferry Service by allowing workers to obtain the initial credits necessary to work for it.
Other bills would create a permanent ferry oversight committee and increase the influence of the Maine State Ferry Advisory Board on the funding and operations of the ferry service.
Jules Walkup is a Report for America corps member.Additional support for this reporting is provided by BDN readers.