The V.I. Port Authority’s plan to increase marine and facility fees has sparked strong public backlash and a formal complaint to the Public Services Commission (PSC), as the agency defends the changes as necessary after nearly 20 years without adjustment.
VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe says the proposed increases are part of a long-overdue effort to maintain and repair aging infrastructure that serves thousands of daily passengers and commercial users. “For 19 years, those fees stayed the same, but the cost of operations, maintenance, and repairs didn’t,” Dowe said. “The vessels that run through our facilities every day cause significant wear, and we’ve absorbed those costs for too long.”
He explained that under the current structure, ferry operators pay $1 per foot of vessel length for docking, which covers 24 hours of unlimited trips. “So, for example, if a 100-foot ferry runs 18 trips a day, they’re only paying $100 for that entire day,” he said. VIPA had proposed raising the fee to $2 per foot, but after discussions with operators at a recent St. Thomas town hall, a $1.50 compromise is now being considered.
VIPA also plans to increase the BVI passenger fee from $8 to $11 — still less than the $20 charged by the British Virgin Islands. Additionally, parking rates at the Red Hook waterfront garage may be adjusted to align with those at the airport, though Dowe stressed that public feedback will help determine final amounts.
“We’re listening — and we’re going to strike a fair balance,” he said following the St. Thomas meeting. “At least now, the main ferry companies understand that there has to be some adjustment.”
While VIPA’s leadership argues the rate changes are long overdue, St. John resident Nydia Lewis has formally appealed to the PSC to stop them. In a letter dated October 11, 2025, addressed to PSC Chairman Pedro Williams, Lewis called the proposed increases “unjust, unreasonable, discriminatory” and said they would “cause a great burden on the residents of this territory, especially those on St. John.”
She argued that under Virgin Islands law, VIPA functions as a public utility and is therefore subject to the Commission’s regulatory authority. The letter cites Virgin Islands Code Title 30, Chapter 1, which governs public utilities, and Title 25, Chapter 3, which authorizes public funding for inter-island transportation and establishes the Virgin Islands Ferry Boat Fund to maintain ferry services.
Lewis said VIPA’s failure to produce audited financial statements since 2021 undermines its credibility in proposing higher fees. “As per law, I am asking that this Commission stay the rates of the port authority that directly affects the ratepayers and commence a comprehensive review/audit of this utility,” she wrote.
She urged the PSC to explore existing funding sources before approving any rate increases — including the general fund, the Ferry Boat Fund, and federal transportation aid. “As a public utility, VIPA should qualify for some of those funds to repair its facilities that are being used by the public,” she said.
Lewis’s letter followed a week of emotional public meetings hosted by VIPA. The first, on October 6 in St. John, lasted nearly four hours and featured passionate opposition from residents who said the proposed increases would make island life even more unaffordable.
VIPA’s plan would double barge ramp fees from $3 to $6 and introduce a new $2 charge per passenger over age 12, excluding the driver and front passenger — in addition to the $65 round-trip barge fare charged by private operators.
“Have you and your group considered the deep burden and suffering that this plan has put out for the four thousand people that live on St. John?” asked longtime resident Bonnie Corbeil, calling the proposal “another disrespectful move to the people of St. John.”
Others echoed her concerns. “We’re the only people who have to pay to come home,” said Abigail Hendricks Kagan, referring to the daily ferry or barge trips that St. Johnians rely on for medical care, work, and government services in St. Thomas.
Residents also objected to VIPA’s proposal to begin charging for parking at the Victor Sewer Marine Facility (Customs Lot) in Cruz Bay. The system would offer 30 minutes free before fees apply, but locals said that even limited charges would “further squeeze” families already struggling with transportation costs.
Speakers including Myrtle Barry and Pastor Elva Richards Goodwin condemned the parking fee plan, while Ian Samuel urged VIPA to pursue partnerships to make the port economically self-sustaining instead of depending on rate hikes.
Dowe said the heated exchanges in St. John were expected and reflected the community’s passion. “The exchange was both expected and welcomed as part of the public feedback process,” he told the Consortium, noting that misinformation and misunderstanding fueled some of the anger.
By contrast, the following evening’s St. Thomas meeting drew calmer, more constructive engagement. Ferry operators from the Blyden Marine Terminal agreed to consider a smaller, gradual increase. “They all said they’re willing to pay at least 50 cents more,” Dowe said.
The final town hall in the series took place on St. Croix last week, where similar concerns were raised.
In her letter, Lewis warned that the proposed increases would ripple through St. John’s economy. “We are the only VI residents who must pay a fee to go home,” she wrote, arguing that merchants would pass new costs on to consumers, driving up prices for groceries, fuel, and basic goods. “Essentially, increasing these costs will ultimately drive St. John residents out of their homes.”
Lewis also objected to VIPA’s plan to charge $2 per passenger inside vehicles at the barge ramp, calling it “unfair to charge us for our families to just sit in our cars.” She cited Act 7893, which grants Varlack Ventures, Inc. and Transportation Services, Inc. exclusive authority to collect passenger fees, arguing that VIPA has no legal basis to impose new ones.
Comparing costs to other jurisdictions, she noted, “Other communities pay far less, like Puerto Rico/Vieques who pays around $2 and Staten Island in New York pays nothing for the use of their ferry. Why does everything in the VI have to be so much more expensive, especially when the service doesn’t match the cost?”
Lewis further criticized VIPA’s management of long-standing revenues, pointing to infrastructure issues such as potholes near the St. John barge ramp, flooding along access roads, and deterioration beneath the Loredon Boynes Dock. “For 19 years they have collected those funds, where has the money been spent?” she asked.
In closing, Lewis urged transparency. “They should first look at and exhaust all federal and local funds that are available to them as they are providing a public service before burdening the people with more taxing fees,” she said.
The PSC has not yet announced how it will proceed with the complaint.
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