Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority
Falmouth, MA · NTD ID 10183 · 2024 report year
Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority carries 3.8 million passenger trips a year across two modes — ferryboat and bus — making it the 135th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Falmouth, MA.
It spends $121 million a year running that service, or $31.55 per trip. Its ferryboat service, the largest of its modes, costs $39.03 per rider — 101% above the $19.42 median for the 39 US agencies reporting ferryboat.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 1% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and down 1% on 2023. Fares cover 29% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferryboat#5 of 39 nationally | 2,920,002 | $114 million | $39.03 | +101% | 31% | 9 |
| Bus#262 of 1,162 nationally | 901,381 | $6.6 million | $7.34 | -47% | — | 16 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,821,383 | $121 million | $31.55 |
| 2023 | 3,860,264 | $115 million | $29.85 |
| 2022 | 3,756,674 | $113 million | $30.04 |
| 2021 | 3,500,228 | $114 million | $32.62 |
| 2020 | 2,521,805 | $115 million | $45.60 |
| 2019 | 3,861,983 | $119 million | $30.89 |
| 2018 | 3,912,733 | $111 million | $28.26 |
| 2017 | 3,920,679 | $106 million | $27.02 |
| 2016 | 4,367,521 | $107 million | $24.59 |
| 2015 | 3,927,497 | $102 million | $25.97 |
Where Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority ranks
- Highest-Ridership Ferry Systems #5 of 39
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Ask NTD about Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.