Help for ferries

The state House of Representatives is proposing a 3-cent a gallon increase in the gas tax, with money going to build new ferries. Governor Gary Locke is urging a 4-cent a gallon tax hike, while the state Senate wants a 5-cent a gallon increase in the gas tax. The House bill would provide money for five new boats, while the Senate’s bill would pay for four. Washington State Ferries is hoping to build four new boats, meaning the House offer betters WSF’s fondest expectations.

Both bills would keep the ferry running to Sidney year-round, says state Senator Harriet Spanel (D - Bellingham), who describes this provision as “important.”

“We’re close,” says Spanel, expressing optimism that the legislature will furnish help.

But state Representative Jeff Morris (D - Anacortes) is less certain. He contends that when projected revenue figures are presented to the legislature this week, all three gas tax measures could be shelved. Another who is adopting a wait-and-see attitude is Pat Patterson, public information officer for Washington State Ferries, who says “it’s hard to tell” what will happen. Both are also concerned about threats now being made by Tim Eyman to petition the voters to repeal any new taxes.

Morris and Spanel want service to Sidney to be provided all 365 days of the year. Without state funding, the Sidney ferry, plus several sailings to the San Juans, will continue to be cut out for 12 weeks every winter.

Legislators believe that the San Juans will be thrilled by the apparent support, but Bob Distler, chairman of the San Juan Ferry Advisory Committee, wants to see the fine print. Distler fears that such a schedule could only be implemented if the 160-car ferry Elwha is replaced during the winter by the 100-car ferry Evergreen State, since those are the only two ferries in the system that are in accord with Coast Guard requirements for international sailings.

Distler says if the Evergreen State takes over the run, it will result in 60 fewer sailings on the early morning ferry from Friday Harbor, another 60 on the 5:05 p.m. sailing back to Friday Harbor, and still another 60 fewer spaces on the 8:25 p.m. ferry that makes all stops. That’s 180 fewer spaces, just so the ferry can go to Sidney, at times with fewer than 10 vehicles, Distler says. That’s a bad trade, he says, predicting that cars will be left overnight in Anacortes. “We’re trading 180 spaces for Sidney.”

Washington State Ferries Planning Director Ray Deardorf admitted that the Evergreen State creates “capacity issues,” but he says he didn’t know how many cars would have been overloaded, if any, if the smaller ferry had been used during the winter instead of the Elwha.

Morris, however, hopes that such a potential problem can be avoided. The legislator is pressing the Coast Guard for a waiver that would allow the ferry system to send another 160-car ferry to Sidney while the Elwha is undergoing its yearly maintenance. Morris said he’s been told that the Coast Guard would be willing to grant a waiver on the condition that Washington State Ferries has a plan in place to build another ferry that is outfitted to make the international sailing.

But Distler feels it’s a bad use of taxpayers’ money, given state government’s $2.6 billion deficit, to spend what he believes will be $80 to $90 million to provide a service that few will use. Distler vows to fight the plan. He also says he has “not heard a single complaint” about the reduction in service this winter.

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