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Post by whidbeyislandguy on Jun 22, 2009 12:28:24 GMT -8
Well this is kind of about the ferries. I can't help but to laugh, knowing the history here and the fact they just built a new Sound Transit Rail Station, one would question why they took away parking and also say The people of Mukilteo should know that the ferry was there first, and that is what made that little know grow to start.
Mukilteo parking issue draws a big crowd to Clinton By ROY JACOBSON South Whidbey Record Reporter Jun 20 2009, 8:00 AM There was lingering frustration but few answers as Whidbey commuters who face the loss of their parking places in Mukilteo packed Clinton Community Hall on Wednesday night.
Nearly 150 people met with Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine and five members of the Mukilteo City Council, who tried to smooth feathers over the pending loss of commuter parking on the other side of the water.
It’s been a contentious issue, and islanders were reminded to pull their punches. David Welton, a physician who commutes regularly and organized the meeting, urged that a “collegial atmosphere” be maintained.
“We don’t want this to be like Jerry Springer,” he said.
Also attending the meeting were Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson, state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano, state Rep. Norma Smith of Clinton and representatives of Washington State Ferries, the state Department of Transportation, Community Transit, and other local transportation agencies.
None stepped forward with a solution.
“Whose job is it?” someone shouted from the audience. “Who’s our advocate?”
“It’s my job,” Price Johnson finally said,
agreeing that the transportation situation is a regional issue, and that the commuter situation had fallen through the cracks.
She said she would continue to work with Mukilteo officials and others to try to locate “pockets of parking” in Mukilteo to accommodate at least some commuters in the short run.
Marine pushed for harmony.
“Working together would be better than both sides of the water fighting each other,” said the embattled mayor, whose previous statements drew indignant responses from islanders.
Marine had said that it isn’t Mukilteo’s responsibility to provide parking.
He also indicated that the city might be more responsive if islanders were more sensitive to the difficulties faced by city residents as a result of the ferry traffic.
The loss of parking creates a dilemma for commuters who keep cars in Mukilteo.
Some at the meeting said taking their cars on the ferry would add an intolerable expense and length of time to their travels.
Others said the loss of parking in Mukilteo may force them to move off the island.
“I need to be able to drive my car and support my family,” said Kelle Vandenberg of Langley.
Still others said that Mukilteo is adding to its traffic woes by eliminating parking spaces.
“Mukilteo’s number-one complaint is the ferry line, and this will make it much worse,” said Brian Maddux of Clinton. “This is damaging both communities.”
Some urged that the state buy property for a commuter parking lot.
“The state is not responsible for parking,” responded Haugen, the chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Committee. “You’ve got to understand that. It’s not a transportation issue, it’s a land issue.”
A suggestion that the reservation system being considered for ferry users might be the answer to islanders facing longer commutes was greeted with loud boos.
“There’s your answer,” someone shouted.
Marine said the best solution would be a long-range one, moving the ferry terminal and building a parking garage, a costly proposition that would take years.
“The idea of building a new terminal is a very long way off,” Haugen said. “You don’t want your ferry rates raised, and we don’t have a lot of money.”
For years, as many as 300 islanders have kept vehicles in Mukilteo so they could walk aboard the ferry without waiting in long lines.
Marine and other officials at Wednesday’s meeting said commuters might work with area transit systems to use vans that could be kept in Mukilteo.
“I’d rather see one van parked overnight than five or six cars,” Marine said.
But Michael Klim of Langley, who commutes to Everett, said many commuters travel at different times, making vanpool and bus scheduling difficult.
“You’re not looking at it as a whole,” Klim added. “South Whidbey needs Mukilteo, and without South Whidbey, Mukilteo would be a gulch.”
“Build a bridge,” suggested Mark Sayko of Clinton.
“I’ve got my piece of Whidbey Island. I don’t care if there are more tourists from Georgia,” he said.
More practically, he and others urged that a priority boarding pass be created to cut down on commuter travel.
“I’ll pay extra for that, since I won’t have to pay for parking,” Sayko said.
South Whidbey Record Reporter Roy Jacobson
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jun 26, 2009 21:34:32 GMT -8
Waiting for a ferry at Orcas Island and pondering our incompetenceseattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ronjudd/2009385642_trailmix26.htmlThe threadbare Washington state ferry system is where a mechanical problem on one or, God forbid, several boats at the same time can render the entire schedule a work of fiction. ORCAS FERRY LANDING — "Island Time." It's the logo on T-shirts and hats in a market near the ferry dock. "Island Time: Orcas Island," as if there's some degree of cachet involved. We've been sitting here, living on Island Time, waiting for a ride to Friday Harbor, for four hours. But who's counting? About two hours after taking my place in line, in a car with Emjay and visiting friends from Colorado, the pointed questions began arriving from the back seat. "Where is our ferry?" wondered Connor, with that impeccable logic every 5-year-old possesses. "It's coming, buddy," said Dad, from behind the wheel. And it was coming. Just not anytime soon. I grimaced and launched into The Explanation — the mea culpa I offer every guest who arrives in the Evergreen State and wonders why nothing seems to work around here. "It's a long story," I always say. "We have a fascinating revenue system. Sales-tax driven, boom or bust. When it booms, we don't invest in infrastructure. When it busts, we don't invest in anything. We just close stuff down." Exhibit A: The threadbare state ferry system, where a mechanical problem on one or, God forbid, several boats at the same time can render the entire schedule a work of fiction. That's what happened this week, when the Barbie-sized ferry Hiyu — a proud little 42-year-old boat, but one that carries only 33 cars — replaced a broken-down 90-car vessel, the Sealth, as the "inter-island" ferry in the San Juans. You will get no visible nor verbal warning about this switcheroo when you leave Anacortes — no indication that you'd better allow half a day to cover, say, the 5 minutes of open water between Shaw and Lopez. You'll find out soon enough. Island Time! Just lay back and enjoy it. When the Hiyu finally pulled away from Orcas Wednesday, well past its scheduled departure time, a ferry employee gave those of us stuck on the beach the grim news. "We've reached our quota," she said, explaining the small-boat problem. "You can wait for the next boat [nearly four hours away, as it turned out], or you can come back tomorrow." Tomorrow? Someone asked her what seemed a logical question. When a run's capacity is reduced by two-thirds because of a breakdown, why can't the state just add a couple extra runs for the smaller boat? After all, we've already paid our money — more than $100 for a small car and five passengers to get from Anacortes to Friday Harbor via Orcas. She looked at us like we were from a solar system far, far away, and sighed. "The state," she said through a saccharin smile, "is pretty darn broke." And there you have it. Washington: The No-We-Can't State. Broke and broken, no fix in sight. It occurred to me at that instant that I rarely visit the San Juans anymore, and this trip reminded me why. It's just not worth it, either in terms of money or time. That ratio of three hours in ferry lines for every one hour relaxing tends to stick with you. Who do you blame? Washington State Ferries. The governor. The Legislature. Maybe even yourself, if you've ever voted for a knee-jerk tax measure that pulls money directly away from transportation. But it's not all about money. In a lifetime of ferry riding, I don't recall the system being a lot more efficient back before tax revolts. And what Washington State Ferries has, it doesn't use well. For the half a day we were marooned on Orcas, the ferry slip sat empty for hours. But on the two occasions when one boat actually used it, another magically appeared to wait in line behind it — in one case up to a half-hour — to slide in when it was finished. Have these people not heard of two-way radios? The entire thing reeks of mismanagement. And it's embarrassing. We got in line to go to Friday Harbor before 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Got there right around 9. Big deal? Maybe not. But it's just one example of what seems an enduring trend in these parts. Believe it or not, some of us still have medium- to high expectations of our state government. And one of them is that it should not take five hours to move people from Orcas Island to Friday Harbor. Island Time: A pleasant spin on gross incompetence. Get used to it. And for any of you out there who think life is too short to be living it, two words of advice: Stay home. Ron Judd: 206-464-8280 or at rjudd@seattletimes.com.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,192
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Post by Neil on Jun 26, 2009 23:18:40 GMT -8
Americans enjoy cheaper fuel costs than just about any democracy in the world, and you pay less for most consumer goods. Your average wages are higher than most places, including Canada.
And still folks south of the border complain about their taxes, even though you're in the bottom rung among democracies in terms of the income taxes you pay, and way down in your sales tax in comparison to virtually everyone. Right wing ranters are always able to raise a posse to battle the evil tax man.
I guess you get the services you're willing to pay for.
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Post by whidbeyislandguy on Jun 26, 2009 23:45:43 GMT -8
Americans enjoy cheaper fuel costs than just about any democracy in the world, and you pay less for most consumer goods. Your average wages are higher than most places, including Canada. And still folks south of the border complain about their taxes, even though you're in the bottom rung among democracies in terms of the income taxes you pay, and way down in your sales tax in comparison to virtually everyone. Right wing ranters are always able to raise a posse to battle the evil tax man. I guess you get the services you're willing to pay for. And that would be why we have no Services that we want, too many people aren't willing to pay. and too few of us see the big picture about .. Shall i say I-695....
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jul 9, 2009 11:52:27 GMT -8
Point Defiance-Tahlequah ferry service could be cutwww.pnwlocalnews.com/vashon/vib/news/50175217.htmlBy LESLIE BROWN Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Editor Jul 08 2009, 10:50 AM · UPDATED Islanders who use the south-end ferry — some of whom are already feeling the pinch from reductions in service — may soon see the last run of the day end at 9:30 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than the current schedule. This time, however, the proposed schedule change is due not to budget shortfalls at the beleaguered state ferry system but because of the U.S. Coast Guard’s mounting concerns about the safety of boats operated by tired deckhands. The Coast Guard has ordered the state to end its so-called “touring watches,” 24-hour shifts that require the crew to work an eight-hour evening shift, sleep for eight hours and then work an eight-hour morning shift. According to a five-page letter the Coast Guard sent to the state last year, crew fatigue has been cited in ferry accidents in other parts of the world and is a particularly important issue when operating boats in busy Puget Sound. What’s more, the Coast Guard said, the state has not put in place a program to ensure crews are able to handle these lengthy touring watches, shifts that exceed what the Coast Guard calls “the accepted standard.” As a result, the state needs to cease a practice it has in place on the Tahlequah-Point Defiance run and a few others in the Puget Sound by Sept. 30, the Coast Guard says. To accommodate the federal requirement, state ferry officials are considering making the last crossing to Tahlequah at 9:30 p.m., giving the crew time to return to Point Defiance by 10 p.m. and ending their shift then. Currently, the crew sleeps on the Rhododendron at Tahlequah after the 10 p.m. crossing. But ferry officials could meet the federal rules by instead increasing the afternoon “tie-down,” when no ferry service exists between Tacoma and the south end of Vashon, said Dave Remagen, Washington State Ferries’ service planning manager. This would enable the ferry system to start the afternoon shift later and maintain that 10 p.m. crossing, he said. On the other hand, it would lead to a bigger afternoon backup and thus more commuters missing the ferry and waiting for a later crossing. “There’s already a lot of concern about the midday tie-up,” Remagen said. Ferry officials are reaching out to the community to find out what Islanders who regularly use the south-end ferry prefer. “We need to hear from the community,” said Marta Coursey, communications director for WSF. “Unfortunately, the bottom line is that we have to comply (with the Coast Guard directive) for very compelling safety issues. It’s not an option to not comply.” Vashon’s ferry advisory committee is holding a meeting July 13 to garner input from Islanders. Ferry-service advocates, however, are already concerned about the impact the changes could have on those who regularly use the south-end ferry — where service has already been reduced considerably in the wake of the ferry system’s ongoing budget crises. “We’ve taken so many cuts on that route. ... It’s not acceptable,” said Rep. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island), who crosses the Sound at Tahlequah when she commutes to Olympia. “In my opinion, this could be devastating for folks who depend on the south end.” Jack Barbash, who works in Tacoma, concurred. It’s already nearly impossible, he said, for him to go to a restaurant or a movie after work. “This just makes it worse,” he said. Jon Flora, another south-end commuter, said he’s frustrated by the way the south-end route is treated — a kind of poor cousin in the state’s constellation of routes. “The south end has long been a problem,” he said. “I’m convinced they don’t look at Vashon as seriously as they need to.” But Kari Ulatoski, a member of the Ferry Advisory Committee and longtime ferry-service advocate, said she believes WSF officials have worked hard to try to stave off these cuts. For several years, WSF, at its request, has received a waiver from the Coast Guard from having to comply with the requirement. “This is not a state mandate. This is a federal mandate,” she said. “WSF, to their credit, has been hashing this out, trying to find a solution that will not cut service.” She said she hopes that Islanders will let ferry-service advocates know about specific issues the reduction in service will create — including potential safety issues and impacts on families, the elderly and sports teams. “We want to have a good, strong argument,” she said. The Ferry Advisory Committee will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, July 13, at the Vashon Library to discuss changes to the south-end route. Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Editor Leslie Brown can be reached at editor@vashonbeachcomber.com or 206-463-9195.
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 14, 2009 18:12:34 GMT -8
"Improvements to the Guemes ferry dock" is hardly even "a small slice of the pie" going to ferry projects in Washington. It's none. Somewhere in this article, it asks "why did WSF get so little of the money?" or something similar. Actually, the way the story reads, WSF will get absolutely none of the federal stimulus funds allocated to ferries around the country. Stolen from Found in the Longview Daily News, but I'm sure it has been picked up by papers statewide.... ======================================================== State gets thin slice of federal ferry moneyTuesday, July 14, 2009 4:38 PM PDT By Rachel La Corte The Associated Press OLYMPIA — Washington state, which has the nation’s largest ferry system, applied for more than $56 million in a new round of federal stimulus money for ferries, but it won just one grant for $750,000. The federal Transportation Department announced $60 million in grants Tuesday to build ferries and fix terminals, but Washington state received only about 1 percent of the money. That angered Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., especially since she inserted the $60 million for ferries into the stimulus bill, Murray spokeswoman Alex Glass said. Murray, the senior member of the Washington delegation, spoke by phone with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to “express her concern and disappointment,” Glass added. “The secretary said he would do an expedited review on the process and get back to her,” Glass said. “We want to know what happened, and we’re going to hold his feet to the fire on it.” A message left with LaHood’s office was not immediately returned Tuesday evening. In a news release announcing the grants, LaHood said the projects that were selected “will help put people back to work and at the same time offer more access to areas that lack transportation options.” Of the 19 states and one U.S. territory that received money, Washington received more than only Arkansas and Kentucky. Michigan received the most ferry money, with two grants worth $8.3 million. Maine was next, with two grants totaling $6.8 million, and New York received $6.5 million in two grants. Washington’s lone grant is for a new ferry terminal for Guemes Island in Skagit County. State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said the state and county ferry systems applied for 11 grants for various projects that totaled about $56 million. “We didn’t expect to get all the money we asked for, but we certainly expected to get more than we did,” she said. Last week, LaHood was in Washington state and rode a ferry from Seattle to Bremerton with Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., and Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat. Gregoire spokesman Pearse Edwards said the governor was disappointed by the news. “We are looking for answers as to why the state with the nation’s largest ferry system received such little recovery funding,” he said
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Post by EGfleet on Jul 14, 2009 19:06:11 GMT -8
Here's the Kitsap Sun's take...
Ferry System Shut Out of Stimulus Funds
By Ed Friedrich (Contact) Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The country’s largest ferry system didn’t get a penny of the $60 million available in a second round of federal stimulus funding.
Washington State Ferries, which earlier was allotted $8.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds based on its size, got nothing from a pot for which it had to compete.
It applied for $26 million to replace the Anacortes terminal and $9 million to refurbish the Hyak, said Al McCoy, senior manager of WSF’s budget program.
“That was a shocker,” McCoy said after the federal transportation department announced the awards Tuesday. “We don’t really have an explanation for that. We’re trying to find out why.”
Only one grant ended up in Washington state, $750,000 for a new ferry terminal on Guemes Island in Skagit County. It’s not part of Washington State Ferries.
Michigan received the most money, with two grants worth $8.3 million. Texas got $7.2 million. Maine was next, with two grants totaling $6.8 million, and New York received $6.5 million in two grants. Of the 19 states and one U.S. territory that received money, Washington only received more than Arkansas and Kentucky.
A spokesman said Gov. Chris Gregoire was “extremely disappointed” with the state’s share. Washington State Ferries might have priced itself out of the running by applying for $26 million and $9 million.
“We felt they were reasonable,” WSF spokeswoman Joy Goldenberg said of the projects. “There were no guidelines for dollar requests.”
The ferry system remains in the hunt for stimulus funds from other government departments, such as Energy and Homeland Security. It applied for $7.6 million to make boats more energy-efficient and $2.1 million to retrofit ferry engines to reduce air pollution.
Some of the $8.5 million that WSF received in the first go-round is being used to repaint the ferries Evergreen State and Spokane, McCoy said. Both topsides — not the hulls — are being repainted at Fairhaven Shipyard in Bellingham, the Evergreen State for $1.5 million and the Spokane for $2.7 million. The Evergreen State hasn’t been painted for 14 years, the Spokane for eight. The recommended interval is every seven years, according to the ferry system.
The work is being coordinated with previously scheduled 10- to 12-week installations of security systems to cut down the time they’re out of service. The jobs should be completed this month.
More than $4 million is being spent on terminal work. Vashon Island is getting some new trestle timbers under its dock, and cracked asphalt on the trestle removed and replaced. The cost is $3.1 million.
Four terminals — Seattle, Bainbridge, Vashon and Edmonds — will have upgrades on their transfer spans — the movable bridges where the dock meets the ferry — so they don’t separate from the dock during an earthquake. The cost is $1.1 million.
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Post by Kahloke on Jul 15, 2009 14:30:45 GMT -8
Snubbed no more: Ferries get another $7.6 million
By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press Writer OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Patty Murray says she has secured $7.6 million more in federal money for Washington state's ferry system a day after the state was snubbed in an initial announcement of stimulus grants.
Murray announced Wednesday that U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told her the sole $750,000 grant awarded the state was an oversight and would be fixed.
State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said the state and county ferry systems applied for 11 grants for various projects that totaled about $56 million.
Washington has the largest ferry system in the nation. But initially, of the 19 states and one U.S. territory that received ferry money, Washington received more than only Arkansas and Kentucky.
Murray's office provided this breakdown of the ferry funding:
Kitsap Transit: Seattle-Bremerton Passenger-Only Fast Ferry: Prototype Vessel Procurement - $2,596,000
King County Ferry District Passenger-Only Ferry System Implementation Vessel Acquisition - $2,000,000
Anacortes Ferry Terminal Replacement (WSDOT) - $3,000,000
Skagit Guemes Island Ferry Construction of new ferry terminal with expanded customer service $750,000 www.komonews.com/news/local/50890067.html
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 15, 2009 18:08:40 GMT -8
Part of me is thrilled that some funding is going to appear for some good projects. Anacortes needs the ferry terminal upgrade. (Although there are probably more pressing needs than a SEA-BREM pax ferry.) Part of me just shakes his head and thinks like this: Debit $3m to new Anacortes Ferry Terminal. Credit $3m to "Funding Pulled from the Transportation Secretary's Undershorts". So that's how government works........
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Post by hergfest on Jul 16, 2009 18:46:11 GMT -8
The three million is only for a study of a new Anacortes Terminal. Haven't they already done this? More than once? I love the attitude of this State, if public opinion is against it just make another study with your taxpayer money.
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Post by Freeland on Jul 17, 2009 12:02:48 GMT -8
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Post by EGfleet on Jul 17, 2009 12:04:43 GMT -8
County: Coast Guard allows touring watch in Friday Harbor; early run saved for now
Jul 15 2009, 11:56 AM · UPDATED
The U.S. Coast Guard has notified Washington State Ferries that it can continue to schedule “touring watches” on its Anacortes-to-San Juan Islands routes on a trial basis.
Touring watches allow WSF to schedule crew members to finish a shift in the San Juans, spend the night, then begin a new shift here the next morning. Previously, the Coast Guard had ordered WSF to end touring watches systemwide because of concerns raised by crews on other ferry routes.
In a press release, San Juan County Councilman Howie Rosenfeld, Friday Harbor, said the Coast Guard’s reversal was due in large part to the involvement of the San Juan County Ferry Advisory Committee and the County Council.
Ferry Advisory Committee Chairman Ed Sutton told the council Tuesday, “This is a great win. We’re not done yet, but I think we dodged a bullet. This has been an extraordinary team effort.”
According to Sutton, the only major change on the latest draft of this year’s fall schedule is that the last sailing from Anacortes on Mondays through Thursdays is at 7:25 p.m., an hour earlier than last year. Later sailings will be available Friday through Sunday.
In June, after the Coast Guard had ordered an end to touring watches, the Ferry Advisory Committee issued a statement describing the impact of the resulting ferry schedule saying: “Typically over 60 percent of the Friday Harbor traffic boards ferries to arrive in Anacortes prior to midday. The draft schedule allocates only 26 percent of total eastbound capacity to these hours. The net effect will be to make it difficult for San Juan Island residents to make mid-morning appointments in Anacortes or conduct a full day’s business on the mainland."
In briefing the council Tuesday, Rosenfeld said the long-term continuation of touring watches is not a foregone conclusion.
“By the end of the fall schedule, the Coast Guard will re-evaluate and decide whether touring watches will continue,” he said. “If they decide not to, then the winter schedule will be a transition to no touring watches in the spring.” *** Interestingly, Moseley had this to say in his weekly bulletin: Update on USCG crew endurance requirements
WSF and the unions have tentatively agreed to set up a committee to look at winter schedules with regard to the impact of the loss of touring watches throughout much of the system. WSF's ongoing goal in working with the unions is to uphold the U.S Coast Guard’s standards of safety while ensuring reliable service and the greatest possible flexibility in schedules. We have not been successful to date in reaching accord with our bargaining units on this issue.
It doesn't like like a real "win" to me, more like merely postponing the inevitable...
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Post by EGfleet on Jul 17, 2009 12:12:27 GMT -8
The three million is only for a study of a new Anacortes Terminal. Haven't they already done this? More than once? I love the attitude of this State, if public opinion is against it just make another study with your taxpayer money. Where's your source for this being only a study of the terminal? Nothing I've read (and I just looked through every story popping up on Google news) just says "3 million going to replacing the Anacortes ferry terminal."
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Post by SS Shasta on Jul 18, 2009 14:41:52 GMT -8
Was federal money being used to fund the major updates and maintenance currently underway on MV Spokane, and MV Evergreen State?
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jul 18, 2009 14:59:24 GMT -8
Was federal money being used to fund the major updates and maintenance currently underway on MV Spokane, and MV Evergreen State? Yes, part of the federal stimulus.
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Post by EGfleet on Jul 18, 2009 15:55:25 GMT -8
Was federal money being used to fund the major updates and maintenance currently underway on MV Spokane, and MV Evergreen State? Yes, part of the federal stimulus. The Spokane got kicked loose from Bellingham today, and Barnacle reports that she has *not* been painted yet--at least the exterior. She tied up at Anacortes briefly before heading south.
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jul 18, 2009 17:38:11 GMT -8
I'm guessing the exterior will be repainted at the next scheduled drydocking.
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Post by EGfleet on Jul 19, 2009 9:16:20 GMT -8
The three million is only for a study of a new Anacortes Terminal. Haven't they already done this? More than once? I love the attitude of this State, if public opinion is against it just make another study with your taxpayer money. The Skagit Valley Herald just posted what the 3 million is going toward at Aancortes: ANACORTES — When it comes to replacing the aging ferry terminal here, $3 million from the federal government won’t come close to covering an estimated $26 million in construction costs.
But it could buy Washington State Ferries a spot at the starting line in the next race for federal transportation money.
That’s because the $3 million will help state ferries pay for permits and to finalize the Anacortes terminal design. Rest of the article is here: www.goskagit.com/home/article/still_on_hold/
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Post by Barnacle on Jul 20, 2009 8:59:48 GMT -8
I'm guessing the exterior will be repainted at the next scheduled drydocking. The federal money was supposed to go for painting; I do believe that since she's headed over to Todd's today, the paint will be happening this and next week.
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Post by EGfleet on Jul 30, 2009 20:14:06 GMT -8
King County executive candidates spar over foot ferries T By LESLIE BROWN Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Editor Jul 29 2009, 10:09 AM · UPDATED
All five of the major candidates for King County executive have proposed dramatically curtailing the county’s newly formed ferry district, with some even suggesting the route between Vashon and downtown Seattle be axed.
The King County Council formed the ferry district two years ago, funding it to the tune of 5.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value or $18 million a year. The plan was that the district would pick up two existing runs — the Vashon-Seattle passenger-only service and the West Seattle Taxi — as well as fund five demonstration routes across Lake Washington and other parts of the Sound.
But with a deep recession, a hemorrhaging Metro transit system and a fierce battle for the county executive seat, the tide has suddenly turned on the small ferry district, a proposal that only a few months ago was being heralded as an innovative response to crowded highways.
Ross Hunter, a Democratic state lawmaker from Me-
dina, and Larry Phillips, a Democratic county councilmember, have both said the 5.5 cents in taxing authority should be redirected towards Metro.
Hunter would end the ferry district altogether, according to his Web site and his spokesperson, Cynara Lilly. Phillips, in a telephone interview, said he too would direct all of the ferry district’s tax dollars to ferry district’s tax dollars to Metro but would keep the ferry district alive and use its reserves to maintain the Vashon route for about two years — with an eye toward figuring out its future then.
County Councilmember Dow Constantine, a county executive candidate whose council district includes Vashon and who has been a champion of the ferry district, has also called for shifting the ferry district’s tax authority to Metro while finding another way to keep both the Vashon-Seattle and the West Seattle taxi service afloat. In a news release issued Monday afternoon, he called for directing the ferry district’s reserves to flood control projects.
Fred Jarrett, meanwhile, a Republican-turned-Dem-ocratic state lawmaker, has not only questioned the foot ferries but has also said that the costs of the Vashon route should be “scrutinized.” Former television news anchor Susan Hutchison, too, has been critical of the ferry district’s costs.
Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat has added to the spirited debate. Two weeks ago, he led the charge against the ferry district’s costs in a column headlined “The folly of foot ferries.” In a column in Sunday’s paper, he wrote a satirical obituary, pronouncing the ferry district dead, with the Vashon Island route and the West Seattle taxi “on life support.”
Incensed by his column, State Rep. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island) cancelled her subscription to the Times and urged others to boycott the newspaper.
Nelson, who used to work as Constantine’s chief of staff, said the column — coming one day before the Times endorsed Jarrett and Hunter for county executive — was really a jab at her former boss.
“The column was over the top,” she said.
Westneat, for his part, said he was surprised by the call for a boycott, since — in his initial column — he called the Vashon route “the only one that’s actually defensible.”
“You can no longer find anyone on the (county) council who says you should keep the entire ferry district going,” Westneat added. “I don’t know why that’s a boycottable opinion.”
The issue of the ferry district’s fate will likely soon come before the county council for a vote. County Executive Kurt Triplett, working to backfill a Metro deficit that county officials said will reach $90 million next year, has proposed that 4.5 cents of the ferry district’s 5.5 cents in taxing authority be shifted to Metro — a move that would save five planned new routes in Metro’s highest ridership corridors and provide for an additional one million new passenger trips a year on the 520 bridge, according to a news release.
According to Triplett’s plan, the Vashon route would continue another four years, “enough time to see if the economy improves and to allow the next county executive to come up with a plan,” said Natasha Jones, a spokesperson for the county.
But the lively debate and the dizzying back-and-forth have proven frustrating to Vashon’s ferry-service advocates, who say it’s ridiculous that the small ferry district has become one of the hottest issues in the race over who will lead the county, a region struggling with a wide range of problems.
“I’m furious. I’m appalled that they’re making the passenger-only boat the center of their attack,” said Kari Ulatoski, an active player on ferry issues in the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council.
Only two years ago, the county council overwhelmingly approved the creation of the new ferry district, she noted. The sudden turn of events, lead initially by Hunter and quickly followed by Phillips, amounted to “political grandstanding” by the various candidates, she added.
“It denigrates the entire county council and shows a lack of professionalism and guts,” she said.
Kathy Shaw, who heads a committee focused on the Vashon passenger-only route, agreed.
Most Islanders benefit little — and some not at all — from a number of county transportation initiatives, she said. “What about light rail? We’re paying for that, and yet we’re not riding it.”
“I was writing letters like mad all weekend,” she added.
Some Islanders are particularly critical of Phillips, who, in a new release issued Thursday, said it’s not equitable to use a countywide tax to provide services such as the Elliott Bay water taxi and the Vashon passenger ferry, “which only benefit one corner of the county.”
Phillips voted for the ferry district two years ago, Vashon ferry-service advocates point out.
Constantine also took aim at Phillips, calling his move “a cheap political ploy.” The ferry service, he added, should be seen not as a luxury but as a kind of “rural bus route.”
Phillips, reached Mon-day, said he supported the ferry district two years ago when it was structured as a countywide program — with a countywide tax paying for foot ferries in a number of council districts. To end the five demonstration projects but keep the Vashon and Elliott Bay service alive, he said, amounts “to a bait and switch.”
“It’s no longer a regional service,” he said.
Constantine, considered the Democratic frontrunner, according to some polls, has also come under fire. Westneat, in his column Sunday, quoted County Councilmember Kathy Lambert as saying she felt forced to support the ferry district’s creation because Constantine told her he wouldn’t support money for flood-control levees if she didn’t.
The Seattle Weekly, in a blog entry on Monday, took issue with Constantine’s call for the ferry district’s reserves to be used as a loan for county flood control efforts; the blog dismissed Constantine’s suggestion as “a political tourniquet.” And Hunter’s campaign issued a release Monday questioning Constantine’s ethics.
Constantine’s campaign
spokesman, Sandeep Kau-shik, said Lambert’s accusations are untrue and that there was no horse-trading for the ferry district. What’s more, he said, several of the other candidates have completely flipflopped on the ferry district; during a debate only two weeks ago, Phillips offered up his hearty support for it, Kaushik said.
Meanwhile, Kjristine Lund, the ferry district’s executive director, said the agency is moving forward with its plans, which include enhanced service to Vashon.
“Nothing has changed at this point,” she said. “I think that’s important for people to know, so they don’t get whiplash from all the political rhetoric.”
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 30, 2009 22:51:08 GMT -8
The county government, as part of its menu of services to the public, offers a wide variety of services to the public. Some of these are obviously more necessary than others, and some are more necessary on an immediate level and some only make sense in the long term.
It is arguable that, in the immediate future, there is probably a greater need for an increase in Metro bus service over an investment in the beginnings in a transit district. While I would love to see a 21st Century Mosquito Fleet of passenger ferries all over the Seattle area, we have not reached the point where we need to do this tomorrow or the next day. On the other hand, it is easy to argue that additional funds put into Metro Transit will solve some immediate transportation needs.
The shifting of funds from one form of transit to another might vaguely make sense. However, the folly of this comes into play when we consider Councilmember Dow Constantine's suggestion to transfer the Ferry District's funding to flood-control projects. Again, that is also a worthy project. But at some point, a decision was made to form the district and to run the demonstration project. Unless we belatedly find a really good reason to stop the project, we should go on ahead and see the results.
I've heard this argument before. An acquaintance will tell you about receiving a ticket for a traffic violation or a minor offense, then will go on to say "why are the police spending their resources on minor traffic or vice or drug issues when there is major crime going on." Well, we do need more resources for fighting crime. But it makes no sense to not enforce the law on less pressing issues until the instances of homicides and assaults dry up. We need both detectives and traffic cops. We also need both an ample supply buses and a water transportation option.
No, these proposed routes will not pay for themselves right away, and some of them will be deemed impractical once they get going. But it behooves us to see what does work and what doesn't. Today, we know that routes like Bremerton-Seattle or Kingston-Seattle are not commercially viable. I do expect that at some time in the next ten or twenty years, these routes will become practical. We need to be ready with the answers to what to do at that time. The King County Ferry District will help us as a step toward that inevitable future.
Yes, I do think that these passenger ferries will be a mere drop in the bucket toward our current transit needs. But we need to continue with the project. A city that is starting it's light-rail system "30 years too late" needs to spend s little bit time and money to discover what options work for our communities on the water.
The decision has already been made. The county executive candidates now just need to not mess up their original correct choices.
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Post by BreannaF on Aug 3, 2009 18:14:00 GMT -8
This is one of those "I dunno where else to put it" things, but..... The following photo was posted on the blog " The Bitter End" and is one of the strangest things I have seen on a ferry dock. I don't want to steal the photo without permission, so a link to the blog entry is HERE and a blow-up of the picture is HERE. The photo is of someone using the Friday Harbor ferry loading ramp as a boat launch for a small boat on a trailer. There must be a story behind this (possibly a state-owned project of some sort). But even beyond that, I think the next step there is a long one. Probably a maintenance project of some sort. But it just doesn't look particularly safe, for a lot of reasons.
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Post by Barnacle on Aug 3, 2009 21:48:30 GMT -8
It's a practice we avoid if at all possible, but yes, there was some work being done on the dock.
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Post by SS San Mateo on Aug 30, 2009 11:54:07 GMT -8
Bainbridge ferry disabled after 'hard landing'www.komonews.com/news/local/56232452.htmlSEATTLE - A car ferry on the Seattle-Bainbridge Island route has been removed from service after it slammed into Colman Dock late this morning. Witnesses told KOMO News that the Seattle-bound ferry Wenatchee came out of the fog as it approached the pier at a higher speed than normal and made a hard landing. The Wenatchee has been removed from service while unspecified repairs are made to the vessel. Service on the Bainbridge Island route will be reduced to one boat in the meantime. There were unconfirmed reports that one person aboard the ferry was injured as the vessel struck the dock. One witness said the ferry hit the dock so hard that it bounced back after impact.
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Post by EGfleet on Aug 30, 2009 12:19:33 GMT -8
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