The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has opened an informal investigation into Casco Bay Lines' first ferry rate increase in 15 years.
Rates are set to go up about 80% for day-trippers to all islands on June 1, while prices for monthly and annual ferry passes will drop by at least 40%.
Casco Bay Lines officials have said the new rates are intended to stabilize its funding, address a multi-million-dollar budget deficit, and keep the service affordable for residents who rely on it the most. At a board meeting last month where the new rates were approved, officials noted that two-thirds of tickets sold by Casco Bay Lines are single tickets to Peaks, and about 70% of revenue comes from trips to the island.
But part-time Peaks Island resident Andrew Doukas said he believes the new approach is unfair for daily visitors, and he filed a petition with about 60 signatures to the PUC challenging the new rates.
New, lower monthly rates would benefit him personally, Doukas said, and he acknowledged that for many first-time visitors, they might believe that $14 for a round-trip ticket is a good deal.
"I'm fighting for the Portland residents who want to go over on the weekends," he said. "I'm fighting for the people from Biddeford and Saco and Waterville and Augusta and all over Maine who think, 'Hey yeah, this is a part of Portland. We should be allowed to go there and not have to pay an arm and a leg, so to speak, to enjoy a part of Portland.'"
The PUC said it's considering whether it will open a formal investigation, which could delay or rescind the proposed rates. An attorney for Casco Bay Lines did not return a request for comment at this time.
