DOT Issues Legal Notice of Ferry Service Discontinuation

The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a legal notice on Wednesday detailing its plans to discontinue both the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury and the Hadlyme-Chester ferry services.

The notice states that "ferry service will no longer be provided at the terminus of scenic road Route 160 at the Connecticut River in Glastonbury" and the "discontinuance would alter a portion of Route 148 that has been designated as a scenic road."

Both ferries are extensions of highways that end at the Connecticut River and are designated as scenic roads. As such, eliminating the ferries would be considered an alteration and subject to public notice.

Under state law, alterations to a scenic road require that "the Commissioner of Transportation shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality or municipalities in which such scenic road is located, a notice describing the alteration or improvement."

The statute also states that "there shall be a comment period following the public notice during which interested persons may submit written comments."

The notice, persuant to the statute, includes information on submitting written comments to the DOT. Comments, it states, "must be received by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Bureau of Public Transportation no later than September 5, 2011."

The discontinuation of the state's ferries were originally part of Governor Malloy's broader effort to close a $1.6 billion shortfall in his two-year budget if an agreement can not be reached with the unions. The negotiations with the unions are still ongoing.

As a result of Malloy's budget proposal, efforts to help save the ferry have been taken up by citizens and town officials angered by the possible closing of the ferry services. 

The town of Lyme submitted an injunction to stop the closing of the ferries and Rocky Hill's Town Council voted this week to join Lyme in sueing the state in an effort to keep the ferries running. The original injuction includes the state's failure to issue notice of alteration to a scenic road. The other law mentioned in the injunction mandates that the state maintain a ferry service.

Humphrey Tyler, member of the board of directors of the Hadlyme Public Hall Association which is spearheading an effort to save the ferries, commented on the DOT notice.

"The good news is that the DOT is conceding that the ferry routes are part of routes 148 and 160 and are scenic highway routes," he said. "The bad news is that in taking this formal step, it could be interpreted by pessimists to confirm that the DOT is committed to closing the ferries no matter what the outcome of the union vote."

Rocky Hill Mayor Anthony LaRosa said the Town Council will be drafting a letter and sending it to the DOT to stop the closure of both ferries. He would also be requesting a public hearing. 

The question remains if the ferry service will continue through Sept. 5 or discontinue in August as per Malloy's original budget plan.

It is unclear if the notice will affect the hearing on the injunction request, scheduled in New Britain Superior Court for Thursday.