Dozens of Mainers have signed onto a petition asking the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to investigate the rate hikes recently approved by the Casco Bay Island Transit District (CBITD).
In April, the CBITD voted to increase the cost of round-trip tickets for tourists and visitors while simultaneously decreasing the price of the long-term passes typically used by those who frequently travel to and from the islands.
Not only did the CBITD adjust ticket pricing, but it also made major structural changes to the ticketing system by imposing a flat fare for all islands and discontinuing the option to purchase commuter books of discounted tickets.
These efforts were designed to be coupled with spending cuts in hopes of reducing the Casco Bay Lines’ continued multi-million dollar operating losses by 25 percent, or about $1 million.
[RELATED: The Casco Bay Ferry Will Soon Become More Expensive for Visitors and Cheaper for Commuters]
Earlier this month, a petition signed by sixty ratepayers was filed with the Maine PUC asking the agency to investigate these changes.
The attached complaint alleges that the adjustments made by the CBITD were driven by “ulterior motives.”
Authored by attorney Andrew Doukas, the complaint suggests that the true motivation behind the changes is to reduce the flow of visitors to Peaks Island while also generating supplemental revenue to lower the cost of ferry service for residents.
“I SUPPORT efforts to realign rates to reflect the rising costs of operating CBITD. But I do not support these proposed rates,” Doukas wrote. “They are not designed to simply close the deficits. I suspect ulterior motives, masked behind a rallying cry of ‘Close the Deficits!'”
“If the goal was to increase revenue, one would do that by increasing ticket prices,” Doukas said. “This proposal certainly does that, almost doubling the cost of a single ticket to Peaks Island ($14.00).”
“But this proposal also cuts ticket prices by as much as 62%!!!! (Cliff Island monthly pass down 62%),” continues Doukas. “What, you say! How does this help the revenue stream?! Across the board, resident ticket prices are drastically dropped (Peaks monthly pass cost down 42%, annual pass down 52%, Long Island monthly cost down 57%.)”
“There are other factors at play here,” Doukas argues. “The claim of the Board that this is just a revenue increase change is a front for other goals.”
“There is no record of what the Board is actually trying to do, but one can surmise from their proposal,” said Doukas. “They are attempting to reduce the flow of visitors to Peaks Island, for their own purposes, while giving ‘residents’ the benefit of the increased revenues”
“Double the visitor ticket prices. That will make them think twice,” he wrote. “Then offer the same price to all of the islands. Perhaps visitors will choose other islands to visit if it costs the same! And then use the extra revenue to help balance out additional discounts to islanders. Let them pay for us.”
Over the course of the past week, seven pieces of public comment have been submitted to the Maine PUC with respect to the proposed changes, including four in support and three in opposition.
One commenter indicated that his family owns an ice cream shop and clothing store on Peaks Island, explaining that their customer base consists primarily of day trippers.
“Why not pass a much smaller increase to all classes of customers instead of just one class of passenger,” he suggested. “Not only us but all of the stores, bike and golf cart rentals and restaurants on Peaks Island will be negatively impacted by the unfair change.”
A year-round resident who expressed opposition to the new fare scheduled explained that the elimination of commuter books would have a significant negative impact on the cost of travel for her family of four.
“Not all islanders travel on the ferry enough to warrant a monthly pass,” she said. “Choosing not to buy a monthly pass for any one of us will be too much of a gamble because the only alternative will be to pay $14 each time one of us wants to return to our home, which could add up quickly.”
“This new system forces us to pay more up front, leaving us much less freedom,” the woman said. “It limits our options for deciding how to spend our time. It will also create a financial burden for friends and family who visit us year round.”
“Many, many islanders do not travel into town enough to warrant a monthly pass and cannot afford this daily rate,” she concluded.
A part-time island resident speaking in opposition to the change pointed out that a trip to Portland would suddenly become much more costly for himself and his family should these changes take effect.
“The new fare structure has almost tripled our ferry costs and makes it very expensive to go into Portland on our own, but especially with our family members (grown kids who don’t qualify for a discount) or friends who come to visit,” he said.
The commenter went on to suggest that the CBITD should reinstate a form of commuter book tied to island residency in order to ease this financial burden.
Those offering comments in support of the rate change argued that the new pricing structure would help to create a more “sustainable” and “fiscally sound” ferry system that is “on a more steady course.”
“I wholeheartedly support the rate increase by [Casco Bay Lines],” one commenter said. “I am a year-round resident and feel this increase adequately balances the financial needs of the Bay Lines with the residents in mind.”
“I am writing to share my enthusiastic support for the proposed rate increase, which will help Casco Bay Lines become more sustainable while helping daily life on Peaks Island become more sustainable for hardworking families like my own,” said another.
“This proposal was designed by dedicated islanders with a deep understanding of the diverse needs of our community and a commitment to lifting as many boats as possible while keeping a vital utility, Casco Bay Lines, on a more steady course,” the commenter continued. “This wonderful proposal will encourage more young families to make a life on this island without keeping any families from sharing its many joys as tourists. It is smart, strategic, and sustainable. Empathetic and equitable.”
“It is unfortunate that several decades of CBL Board Members and Managers ignored the rising costs of running a year-round ferry service,” said another ratepayer. “Because of this, the rate increase is significant for users of the service who do not regularly travel between Portland and the Islands.”
“The alternatives are not practical,” she continued. “Cutting staff to save funds would lead to a limited schedule. Increasing vehicle and freight charges would impact all users and still not solve the budget issue. Grants and government funding are never guaranteed on a year-to-year basis.”
“We have hosted many guests on the Island and they all comment about ‘how cheap’ the ferry tickets are,” she concluded. “Time for [Casco Bay Lines] to enter the 21st century and get fiscally sound.”
Another long-term island resident noted that he supports the rate change despite the fact that he will not personally benefit from the discounted passes aimed at frequent travelers, as he generally only rides the ferry less than once a week.
“I see that this change will help the majority of islanders, and lead to a more sustainable ferry system,” he said.
The Maine PUC has given the CBITD until Friday, May 31 to provide a response to these filings.
Click Here for More Information on the Challenge to the CBITD’s Proposed Rate Hike
