Anchors aweigh: VDOT won't reduce ferry-travel schedule. What sparked the reversal?

SURRY – Just days before it was scheduled to take effect, the reduction in service at the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry crossing will not happen after all.

The Virginia Department of Transportation, which operates the three-mile state Route 31 crossing between Surry and James City counties, said in a statement that the planned reduction July 8 “will no longer be implemented.

“As staffing and vessel resources allow, the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry will remain operating under the summer schedule that went into effect May 27 to accommodate the increase in ferry passengers during the summer-travel season,” VDOT said in the statement.

Last week, VDOT announced it would reduce operations to only one ferry that would run 24 hours a day, and add a second vessel between 2-8:30 p.m. The department cited staffing shortages for the reduction – ferry operators require special certification from the U.S. Coast Guard.

VDOT spokesperson Nina Ullrich said between the time the agency announced the reduction and Friday, "we have achieved full-staffing operations" to the point where the lighter schedule will not be necessary.

Sen. Lashresce Aird, D-Petersburg, met with VDOT officials Monday afternoon to discuss the reduction after saying she got “so many emails from Surry citizens” worried about the decision.

“The outpouring of concern was very vocal,” Aird told The Progress-Index.

Staffing issues are common this time of year, but VDOT said in its meeting with Aird that the shortage of qualified ferry operators prompted the decision to alter the schedule but vowed to return to normal summer hours as soon as possible. Along with a $10,000 incentive bonus to attract qualified candidates, the agency also said it asked for a comprehensive market analysis of its compensation plan.

Four days after that meeting, VDOT announced the reversal – a move Aird said was “welcomed relief” to Surry citizens and regular ferry riders.

Related: State reduces travel schedule for Jamestown-Scotland Ferry this summer. Why?

"The responsiveness of VDOT and the entire ferry operations team, to all of the concerns shared is truly commendable,” Aird said. “I look forward to continuing to support the efforts required to ensure we can prevent this disruption in service from occurring in the future.”

VDOT's Ullrich said the agency "is still actively recruiting" applicants for the ferry service.

The ferry’s summer schedule can be found here. In a nutshell, two ferries will run from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and one from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. On weekends, extra vessels will run from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry is celebrating its centennial anniversary next year. It is popular with motorists and visitors opting to avoid interstate and highway travel in lieu of a more scenic rural route.

Its S-shaped, 20-minute path across the James links Scotland Wharf on the Surry side with the Jamestown settlement on the James City side

It is the only crossing in a 70-mile stretch of the James River between the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge in Prince George County and the Interstate 664 Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel in Newport News.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: VDOT reverses decision to reduce ferry service