STATE FERRIES: Hear about their future @ next week’s online meeting

| Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, March)

What’s ahead for Washington State Ferries and the communities (like ours) they serve? WSF has just announced your chance to find out, one week from tonight:

Washington State Ferries is hosting an online public meeting to share the latest information about ferry service and to engage people in ferry-served communities from Tacoma to the San Juan Islands. Instead of its usual spring outreach meetings, WSF has moved its community outreach online due to restrictions on large group gatherings and the spread of COVID-19.

On Tuesday, June 30, at 6 p.m., WSF staff will discuss the response to COVID-19, and how it may affect the agency’s finances and service plan. Online participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments during the meeting.

“We are in a difficult time. Not only are our frontline employees working hard for the safety of our passengers, we face many challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Amy Scarton, head of Washington State Ferries. “We want to hear from the communities we serve, because they are an essential part of our decision making process.”

Members of the public can participate in the meeting from a laptop, desktop or mobile device, but advance registration is required to participate.

June 30 online meeting registration information

· Register online for the 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, meeting at: bit.ly/WSFJuneMeeting2020

· Participants must provide a name and valid email address and have access to a computer or mobile device with an internet connection.

· Once registered, participants will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to log in to the webinar.

The day after the meeting, a recording will be available online for anyone unable to participate.

Lura Mari Bickford June 24, 2020 (8:58 am)

I am a nurse at Seattle Children’s Hospital. I live on Bainbridge, but I have had to move in with my daughter in West Seattle due to the reduced ferry service. I used to walk on, and enjoyed my commute. I get off work at 730 am. It is impossible to get to the ferry in time for the 0755 ferry unless I drive, and if I miss it, and have to wait for the 0935, I don’t get to bed until 1030. I have only one ferry that I can catch back for work the next night, and again, I have to drive, or I will be late for work.I want to go home! I need to know when full service will resume!!

John June 24, 2020 (11:51 am)

I smell another fare hike! I wish the state would just fund the Washington State ferries properly!!

Veronica Malakooti June 24, 2020 (1:03 pm)

My son is a physician whose schedule at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard begins at 7am. Your cancelling the early ferry to Bremerton forces him to take the BAINBRIDGE ferry and then drive 45 minutes. He has difficulty in reaching the shipyard on time and I feel you are adding stress to the life of a physician who is all ready serving the community in these truly stressful times.

Doug Zack June 24, 2020 (4:05 pm)

I think about 70% of the operating budget for ferries comes from fare collections, so another fare increase is likely necessary and on the horizon. What WSF has going for it is the ease of social distancing in comparison to those commuters who rely on buses or the Kitsap Fast Ferries, which are smaller vessels that lack the space for riders to spread out. WSF has a chance to effectively campaign their COVID-19 response so people can see the ease of social distancing in comparison to the buses and Fast Ferry systems in an effort to pull in riders who would normally be on the Kingston Fast Ferry. WSF should also work with Sound Transit (ST), that operates the Sounder commuter rail with a stops in Mukilteo and Edmonds on a North Line Sounder/WSF combined ferry product loaded to an ORCA card. Currently, this commute requires a ferry pass and a PugetPass, each loaded separately to an ORCA card. The monthly cost of this commute with both passes is quite high in comparison to the Kingston Fast Ferry, but if WSF and ST were to come to an agreement on a shared ORCA pass to incorporate both services, each agency could benefit from a ridership boost. If you’ve ever taken the North Line Sounder train, they also have room for riders to socially distance themselves. This need for a safe, socially distant commute, marketed to the public and the creation of a shared WSF-Sounder ORCA product, could be steps in the right direction to rebuilding ridership and trust for safety post-pandemic. You also want to have a seat at the table with service planners from Kitsap Transit (KT) as their budget tightens and services get cut. We want everyone from KT and WSF on the same page to ensure commuters in Kitsap can still access the ferries when needed. No one should have to move to West Seattle or anywhere else, or else wait excessively long times between WSF ferry trips to get work on-time. Everyone deserves to get home after work in a reasonable amount of time.

Dakota Riley June 24, 2020 (11:52 pm)

Perhaps looking at fare structure in a way that incentivized using the ferry rather than it being such a toss up. Specifically why it costs more to pull a simple trailer on a pick up than 4 pick up trucks. Why would I take the Kingston ferry for $80 with my trailer to buy a couch when it will cost me half that to drive around AND with service on every other boat I will be home about 2 hours sooner. Also why does it cost more than $9 for a rider in my car? It’s $6 to cross the bridge. So if I ferry to Edmonds no $9 fee. But if I drive around to get home I avoid the $9 fee and no toll coming back. $15 difference to drive back vs driving there. Also if a passenger is $9 why is it less for the same person to ride a motorcycle? So when deciding how I want to get to the Seattle area and back from Port Orchard the best choice would always be the ferry for me but it’s become cost prohibitive. You could fill that upper deck with foot traffic just riding to ride if you charged a reasonable fare and put retail in and a decent food place. Lease that kitchen to some chains and make the ferry a go to place for people to take their visiting family and friends. Charge a decent fare then keep us spending money on food and otter statues and junk like that for 2 hours. I would go do that a couple times a month.

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