Oldest U.S. ferry in peril as Conn. cuts costs

It looks like no more smooth sailing for two historic ferries in Connecticut that are older than the United States.

Due to budget problems, the state is planning to shut them down.

On "The Early Show," CBS News Correspondent Taryn Winter Brill reported the picturesque Connecticut River measures about 200 yards between the towns of Glastonbury and Rocky Hill. But for residents on both sides, those are troubled waters.

After 361 years, the Rocky Hill Ferry is being shut down.

Dave Scampoli, of South Glastonbury, Conn., said of the ferry's history, "Really, since there have been people in Glastonbury, there's been a ferry at this crossing. It pre-dates the charters of the town, it pre-dates Connecticut, it pre-dates the United States."

Scampoli and others are trying to keep the ferry afloat, along with its down-river sister, the Chester-Hadlyme.

The two ferries provide a cross-river shortcut for vehicles and pedestrians, and have been running for a combined 598 years.

Jim Bennett, executive director of the Historical Society of Glastonbury said, "To destroy something that is as pristine as this, to stop a historic activity that has been going on since 1650 that really costs the state a very minimal amount of money, to me, it's ridiculous."

But for Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy -- and his $1.6 billion deficit -- it's a cut worth making.

Last year, the two ferries generated $147,302 in revenue, but cost the state $584,706 to maintain, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Malloy declined to comment, but the Connecticut Department of Transportation said that, in order to save money, "We've had to make difficult decisions, none of them ideal."

State Rep. Brasad Srinivasan (R-Glastonbury) is fighting back. He told CBS News, "We have to fill the hole, we're well aware of that, but you know, doing it on the back of our ferry, I think, is for the wrong reasons, and I hope for our town, and for the other town, it does not happen."

Unless the protestors can get an injunction, both ferries are slated to close next month. Commuters who wish to cross the river will have to drive out of their way to a bridge, adding both time and traffic. But mainly, residents seem concerned about losing this small, yet significant piece of Americana.

One resident said, "I understand that the state needs to cut some funds, and I was disappointed they were gonna cut it, it's such an old ferry."

Another resident said, "I mean, we grew up here, so we used it when I was growing up, biking back and forth. The kids love it."

Curt Michael, president of the Hadlyme Public Hall Association, said the story relates to people across the country.

"They can look around themselves wherever they live and see things that are being taken away from them ... for the purpose of cost savings, and really scratch their heads and think, 'Gee, does that really make sense?"'

Scampoli agrees that the country's bad economy makes this an all-too-familiar story for many Americans.

"We've all been asked to give up too much," he said. "And there is a point at which you say 'enough."'

A lawsuit is pending against the state of Connecticut, claiming the governor's plan to close the ferries is illegal under two state laws. But they'll have to hurry: Ferry service is slated to shut down August 25th.