Residents of the San Juans and Anacortes will rally Feb. 18 in Olympia to persuade legislators to preserve ferry funding.
They hope to go armed with vox populi, in the form of a petition.
The petition is online at www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?plancfcp&101.
Washington State Ferries is proposing two options for reducing expenses in the face of expected funding shortfalls. Plan A would continue the current level of service and eventually “upsize” certain routes, but would create $3.5 billion in debt by 2030. Plan B would reduce the fleet and cut back routes, including eliminating the Anacortes-to-Sidney route. That option would leave the agency $1.4 billion in the red. Both plans call for a fare increase of 2.5 percent, a fuel surcharge when gas prices rise, and a reservation system to be phased into all the ferry terminals over a period of 10 years.
WSF estimates that by canceling the Anacortes-to-Sidney run it would reduce its debt load by $9.4 million over a number of years. But state Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Mount Vernon, doubts that savings: Gov. Christine Gregoire proposes spending $11.7 million on an Enhanced Driver License program, which would allow vetted Americans and Canadians more efficient border crossings.
In addition, implementing a reservation system – the goal is to reduce the back-up of cars waiting to buy tickets – would cost $12 million to implement, analysts say.
County Councilman Howard Rosenfeld, Friday Harbor, said WSF will not save $9.4 million because the ferry removed from service here is going to be transferred down sound. “They want the boat because it gives WSF more flexibility,” Rosenfeld said. “It puts off the need for a new boat for a while.”
The full draft of the long-range plan is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/planning/eshb2358.
San Juan County’s transportation planner, Shannon Wilbur, has prepared a brief summary of plans A and B which points out similarities and differences in the plans and highlights specific items which will affect San Juan County. That summary is available in PDF file format at www.sanjuanco.com/docs/news/FerryPlanReview_public.pdf.
WSF provided a final draft plan to the state Legislature on Saturday. Copies of the draft plan are available at local libraries and at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/planning/ESHB2358.
To submit a comment on the plan, e-mail wsfplanning@wsdot.wa.gov. Or write Washington State Ferries, Attn. Joy Goldenberg, 2901 Third Ave., Seattle, WA 98121.
County Council member Lovel Pratt, San Juan South, will represent San Juan County at a meeting Feb. 18 with Rep. Judy Clibborn, chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee.
