On a picturesque island in Maine, locals have accused affluent homeowners of transforming their seaside area into a “gated community” with exorbitant ferry costs that they can no longer afford.
The most populated island in Casco Bay, Peaks Island, is home to around 1,000 people year-round, but during the summer, its population significantly increases as tourists take advantage of its peaceful, four-mile walking loop that is encircled by stores and beaches.
The main way to get off the island is via Casco Bay Lines, which operates ferries across the bay and provides a 17-minute trip to Portland.
As recently as last year, the costs were raised.
According to a news release, a citizens’ association claimed on Monday that Peaks Island has turned into a “gated community” for affluent islanders, citing exorbitant charges simply to leave during peak season.
According to Bangor Daily News, one neighbor, Sharoan Cohen, claimed that even though the trip was only three miles inside Portland City boundaries, getting her son home from college cost roughly the same as a round-way airfare.
A car ferry can cost up to $170 during peak season. In the meanwhile, regular passengers have access to passes that reduce the cost of each trip; according to Cohen, this arrangement does not help long-term residents.
Rather, she clarified that the majority of locals prefer to remain on the island and must pay the full ticket when they need to travel to the mainland.
Wealthy inhabitants of Peaks Island, Maine, have been accused by locals of transforming their coastal area into a “gated community” that they can no longer afford.
The most populous island in Casco Bay, Peaks Island, is home to about 1,000 people year-round, but during the summer, that number significantly increases.
Locals noted that a three-mile ride within Portland city boundaries can cost $170, highlighting the exorbitant cost of taking the ferry to the mainland during peak season.
Moving her son home from college cost roughly the same as a round-trip ticket, according to Peaks Island resident Sharoan Cohen. “It diminishes the value of the stewards of the island, who live and work in the community, the artists, the students, the seniors, the infrequent travelers who build our community,” Cohen told the outlet.
She is also one of several locals who have petitioned the Maine Public Utilities Commission to undo the rate hike that was implemented last summer, claiming that it has hurt islanders with fixed and low incomes.
“There are people who really don’t like that, and one way to curtail tourism is to make it so that it’s not cost-effective for somebody to come out to vacation,” year-round resident George Purtell told Bangor Daily News. Now, Maine’s ratepayer advocate is requesting that regulators look into the transit agency for failing to prevent a price shock that affected residents who have lived on the island for years.
Only a few months after the Public Utilities Commission ordered the transit agency to report in December on the effects of its rate rise on ferry-riders, there is a pressing clamor for action.
According to the source, the commission just presented findings last month that showed “relatively little impact” on locals, along with a $4,000 donation to an aid program.
Public Advocate Heather Sanborn contested the results in a May 29 filing, claiming they did not adequately take into consideration the impacted islanders with restricted incomes.
According to the outlet, 118 households on Peaks Island have “constrained incomes,” and 59 households are in poverty, according to Sanborn, a former state senator from Portland who represents Mainers who pay utility bills.
Passes that reduce the cost each journey are available to frequent tourists, however Cohen claimed that this system does not help locals.
According to Cohen, the majority of locals choose to remain on the island and are required to pay the entire fee when traveling to the mainland.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission is being petitioned by locals to undo the rate increase that was implemented last summer, which they claim has hurt low-income and fixed-income islanders.
According to public advocate Heather Sanborn, 118 households on Peaks Island have “constrained incomes,” while 59 households live in poverty.
When placed together, those numbers account for over one-third of all households on the island, she continued.
Residents claimed that since Peaks Island is well-known as a day trip destination, increasing ferry charges on infrequent users could shift the financial burden from inhabitants to visitors.
It is unclear, though, if a regulatory investigation into the vehicle ferry ticket rise will have an influence on the transportation district’s next planned hike, a passenger fare increase that is due to go into effect on June 20.
