Sailing away on the Block Island Ferry will cost more for fast ferry users

Two crew members wait on the the deck for the 10:30 a.m. high speed ferry to depart Point Judith for Block Island on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. The fare that day was still $25 one-way. The one-way fare is increasing to $28 after state regulators approved ferry operator Interstate Navigation's rate increase application. (Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)

Bad news for travelers to and from Block Island: the fare for taking the high-speed ferry between Point Judith and Block Island is going up starting Thursday.

The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved new rates for the 30-minute fast ferry trip in a meeting Wednesday morning. The new rates, which take effect the following day, mark a 12% increase over existing prices across the board.

For one round-trip adult fare, that’s $6 more, from $50 to $56. One-way fares will increase from $25 to $28. The fare for children aged 5-11 will remain $15 one-way and $30 round-trip. For infants through age 4, the fare will increase from $6 to $7 one-way and from $12 to $14 round-trip.

Interstate Navigation Company, the company that owns the ferry service, explained in filings to state regulators that the price hikes were needed to offset rising operational costs, stemming partly from inflationary pressures. Ticket prices for the high-speed ferry have not increased since 2020, when they were hiked from $37 to $50 for an adult, round-trip ticket.

The newly approved rates do not apply to the traditional ferry, a 55-minute trip that is  considered a “lifeline service” rather than a discretionary one. Proposing a rate increase for the traditional ferry  requires a separate, more stringent review process for potential rate increases. Prices for regular and high-speed ferries out of Newport are also unchanged.

The new prices also include first-time costs for transporting electric bikes and scooters on the high-speed ferry, which will now cost users $32 and $12, respectively, to bring round-trip.

During the review process, regulators found the ferry company had already begun charging the new fees for electric bikes and scooters, prior to receiving the required approval. The company immediately stopped charging upon notice by regulators, apologizing for its “mistake,” in a written response.

“As soon as it was brought to the company’s attention, it was corrected,” Michael McElroy, the attorney representing Interstate Navigation, said on Wednesday.

However, the commission is not brushing off the error so quickly, agreeing Wednesday to coordinate its administrative counterpart, the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, on further investigation of the early charges.

This story has been updated to correct when the new rates take effect.

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