Nantucket Visitor Services Panel Hears Steamship Update, Flags Summer Parking Loss

NANTUCKET -- May 12, 2026, Nantucket's Visitor Services Advisory Committee welcomed new Steamship Authority General Manager Alex Kriska at its May 12 remote meeting, receiving his first briefing on an operation that carried 2.9 million passengers and spent $160 million in 2026, supported almost entirely by fare-box revenue. Kriska highlighted three refurbished freight vessels now in service, a new TIA-built reservation system due for launch by early 2027, and an ongoing Woods Hole Terminal reconstruction expected to be occupied next month. Director Chantal Blois-Murphy reported that Daffodil Festival weekend brought 16,100 visitors to the island, up 29.3 percent from last year and 84.6 percent from two years prior, with Saturday alone generating 11,900 arrivals. Blois-Murphy confirmed the downtown valet parking operation will not return this summer, as National Grid has claimed the lot for infrastructure work, a loss she said the town manager had tried and failed to prevent. The committee also flagged a Level 2 drought concern heading into June and July and voted unanimously to adjourn; the next meeting is June 9.