Volunteers Hand Out Flyers to Stop Ferry Closure

Jackie Jacobs and other volunteers, who are mostly members, will spend this weekend handing out flyers and trying to convince the state to save the ferries.

“We want to see the ferries continued, not discontinued,” Jacobs, a member of the , said.  “Something that old that has lasted this long needs to be preserved.”

Jacobs and other volunteers have spent the past two weekends at handing out flyers to ferry riders. She believes that she handed out about a dozen flyers per hour.

The flyer stated if the rider wanted to keep the ferry running to call Gov. Dannel Malloy, Connecticut Dep. Commissioner of Culture and Tourism Christopher Bergstrom and Economic Development Commissioner Catherine Smith. 

The ferries are vital to businesses, farms and tourist spots in the area and are a historic part of the transportation infrastructure, the flyer stated.

Malloy's  would eliminate both ferry services and lay off the eight workers who run them to fix the $1.6 billion budget deficit. Union negotiations are currently ongoing.

"Under ideal circumstances, the Department of Transportation would like to keep the ferries," Kevin Nursick, the department's spokesman, said. "We are in circumstances that are far from ideal."  

Nursick stated the DOT’s core function is maintaining and operating efficient transportation operations.

“These are not efficient operations,” Nursick said. “They are effectively losing the state half million dollars.“

The DOT had to make very tough decisions, and reduce its operating costs, Nursick said. He added that the ferries are only one of the “painful decisions“ that the DOT made, which included major rail and bus fare increases, canceling some weekend train service and over 500 employee layoffs.

“These are painful cuts,“ Nursick said. “The money has to come from somewhere. “

Volunteers are expected to be at Ferry Park Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone who wants to help should contact the Historical Society.