Orient Ferry Gamble
In spite of local protest against increased car traffic and parking in Southhold, L.I., Cross Sound Ferry Services was able to launch a 350-passenger only high-speed ferry service between Orient, L.I. and New London, CT last Wednesday. Sea Jet I, the fastest ocean cruising passenger vessel in the U.S., will reduce the time required by traditional services to cross the Sound from 90 to 35 minutes. While the Orient ferry may prove its value as a link to Amtrak (and a potential Shore Line East extension) in New London, primary impetus for the ferry is to bring patrons to the Foxwood Casino near New London. The LIRR and Cross Sound now offer round trip packages, complete with bus connections to the casino. Southhold objects to its new role as a gambler funnel. Town Supervisor Thomas Wickham says "They all take the one and only road to Orient Point and leave their cars parked all over the place."Similar sentiment in Shoreham recently caused a proposal for a high-speed L.I.-New Haven ferry to be shelved. The Shoreham ferry was arguably a more valuable service than the new Orient boat, since it had some capacity for carrying large trucks that otherwise beat a path through crowded Nassau County, NYC and southwest Connecticut. On the other hand, it may have fueled many additional car trips in Long Island and the New Haven area, as its detractors held. Perhaps a proposal for freight and passenger only cross-Sound service will emerge in time.
