Inspector general questions the Steamship Authority reservation project

The Vineyard Gazette reported on 5 November 2026 that Massachusetts inspector general Jeffrey Shapiro is raising concerns about the Steamship Authority’s planned new reservation system, nearly a year after a report on a website the authority has shelved.

In his letter of 6 October he wrote: “The OIG is pleased that SSA management and the SSA board are acknowledging and addressing the delays in the reservation system project, instead of downplaying them as they did with the website project, and that the SSA management and board are willing to review the project to determine the best course going forward.” He continued: “However, the project management issues highlighted above suggest significant hurdles remain.”

He noted that the treasurer and the chief operating officer appear to be spending a significant amount of time guiding the new system, despite full-time senior administrative duties in other departments. He asked about the cost of the system and how it would be incorporated into the website the authority spent millions on before putting it on pause. The authority hired an Italian firm with experience in ferry systems last year. Initial estimates had the system implemented in 2026. The launch has been postponed to next year.

The letter came up at the Steamship’s advisory port council meeting on Tuesday. General manager Alex Kryska said the ferry line has not yet responded, and that he was writing to Shapiro. “I’ve been working on that myself, and trying to get insight from others who were here before I was, so that I can provide a clear and complete response to him,” he said. Staff are interviewing candidates for a first staff project manager. “The project manager is a long time coming. We’re excited about getting that position filled sooner rather than later,” Kryska said.

The inspector general has asked for a breakdown of the cost of the new reservation system, and of any extra money spent keeping the old system going during the delays. Ted Gavin, the Vineyard’s representative on the Steamship board, said the authority has spent a little more than $2 million on the reservation system and has not gone over the $5.5 million allocated for the project. Shapiro wrote: “Both the ultimate value of the initial website project’s work and the current cost of the reservation system project are unclear, and the latter’s delays are cause for concern.” Gavin said the website would be launched in conjunction with the new reservation system. The Gazette says islanders who attended a budget hearing in Vineyard Haven last week saw the site, which cost more than $4 million before it was paused.

Kryska said Shapiro is coming to Falmouth on what he believes is the second of December, for a community listening session, and that he will be there.