Save the Ferries... Again

The Hadlyme Public Hall Association, an open community organization, was anything but quiet Tuesday night. As the clock neared 7:30 p.m., the last few people in attendance quietly moved into the 100-year old building and shuffled their way through the audience to find empty seats. But, unlike your everyday rally, this collective, from all over the Connecticut River Valley, shared more than just a common location, they shared a goal, one that unfortunately is all too familiar to the people of this region. 

The purpose of the gathering was loud and clear: Save the ferries, again.

The nation’s two oldest continually operating ferries, the Chester-Hadlyme and Glastonbury-Rocky Hill ferries, are in jeopardy under the lastest round of state budget cut and locals are vowing to fight the move. The ferries earlier in the budget season were slated for funding cuts that would have shut down the services, which carries motorists across the Connecticut River. 

Dating back before the Revolutionary War, the Chester-Hadlyme (1769) and Rocky Hill (1655) ferries have persevered over 200 years of American history, enduring two domestic wars and the Great Depression.  

After state employee unions rejected budget-balancing changes in their contracts, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has called for implementation of his Plan B budget, which includes 6,500 layoffs, municipal aid cuts and the elimination of funds for the ferries. He has called for a special legislative session Thursday for lawmakers to approve his spending cuts.

Local residents and officials are rallying to save the ferries.

Humphrey Tyler, a member of the board of directors of the Hadlyme Public Hall Association, opened last night's meeting by assertively introducing the association’s strategy: “We must galvanize an effort to work with the legislator and the Malloy administration to save the ferries.”  

An integral part of the effort involves convincing state lawmakers that the loss of the ferries would be a greater cost to the community and state economy.

Malloy’s budget recommends $704,124 next year for the ferry service and $799,280 in fiscal year 2012-2013.

Both ferries run under the Bureau of Aviation and Ports within the DOT.

According to an economic analysis discussed at the town hall meeting last night, in order for the Chester-Hadlyme ferry to have a balanced budget it would have to charge $9 each way for a ticket. The lack of appeal for such a change is obvious.

In lieu of this, the board and members of the audience brought forth a list of “talking points” upon which to focus when communicating with the legislators or anyone in favor of cutting the ferries’ services.

Among them was for health and safety reasons, stating that emergency vehicles often use the Chester-Hadlyme ferry as a quicker route to either side of the river.

Another point made was that the ferry service was merely an extension of the state highway system as well as a favorable alternative to the “unreliable East Haddam swing bridge, severe traffic congestion on I-95 and the… disruptive repair work on the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown” for crossing the river and getting to a number of places throughout Connecticut.

Others at the meeting pointed out that the ferries represent a significant tourism attraction and cutting them runs counter to Malloy's proposal to boost state tourism efforts.

For many, continuing the ferries in Chester-Hadlyme and Rocky Hill-Glastonbury supercedes state budget issues. 

One man humorously described the ferry crossing as, “a gateway into a magical world of castles and dinosaur tracks,” a reference to Gillette Castle and Devil’s Hopyard, popular tourist attractions in East Haddam. 

George and Nancy Giesey of New Jersey, who recently moved to the area, began to describe the Chester-Hadlyme ferry as “The scenic beauty of it…” but fell short at a loss of words.

One board member said “the fact that it’s been running all this time” was enough of a reason to keep it going, adding that it is a symbol to of the nation's history.

As state legislators convene one last time tomorrow to find a viable budget, hoping to satisfy the state's fiscal needs, residents of the Chester-Hadlyme and surrounding area will be hard at work trying to save a symbol of their local culture.