From the Whidbey Examiner

Ferries could benefit from federal money

By Justin Burnett
Examiner Staff Writer

New legislation under consideration in Congress could provide Washington State Ferries with an extra $40.7 million a year, Washington State Ferries chief David Moseley said during a telephone press conference in Washington D.C. last week.

Moseley made a special trip to the nation's capital to take part in the April 28 announcement of the Ferry Systems Investment Act proposed by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Congressman Rick Larsen.

The legislation calls for a budget increase in the federal Ferry Boat Discretionary Program from $67 million a year to $200 million a year. If the bill is approved as is, the money would be available to ferry systems nationwide for the next six years, from 2010 to 2015.

Murray and Larsen said the proposal was prompted largely by Washington state's desperate need for money to shore up its ferry system, which is a critical part of its transportation infrastructure. Both lawmakers said they recognize the important role of ferries in supporting the state's economy.

"I know how critical this mode of transportation is," Murray said.

"For thousands of my constituents, ferries offer the only way for them to get to work," Larsen said.

According to the proposal, the ferry funding would be allocated in two ways. Half the money, $100 million, would be awarded using a weighted formula that's based on ridership and total route miles.

"It's a formula based on need, essentially," Murray said.

Given WSF's financial troubles, and the fact that it is the largest ferry system in the nation, Washington could make out quite well. Moseley said the formula funds alone could tally up to $40.7 million. He said Washington State Ferries currently gets about $5 million a year from the program.

The other half of the funds would be distributed on a discretionary basis to help initiate and expand ferry service around the country. Ferry systems that need funds for specific projects may be the primary beneficiaries. However, Washington State Ferries would not be able to use any of the money to build new boats because of conflicting Washington State and federal laws.

"We've made it flexible enough to be able to use this money for other things," Murray said.

Projects such as the $26 million needed to replace the Anacortes terminal and the $30 million to build a new terminal at Mukilteo would be prime candidates for the money. The money also could be used to repair aging ferries, such as the $9 million needed to repair the Hyak, a 40-year-old Super Class ferry. The 144-car vessel, which is used on the Seattle-Bremerton route, ran into trouble earlier this year when its drive motor failed.

While the federal money may not be used to build new ferries, it may still have a positive impact on the ferry construction schedule, Moseley said. The additional federal dollars could allow WSF to shift more of its own budget to new ferries, he said.

For example, an injection of federal dollars could free up enough state money to pay for the 144-car vessel that the state Legislature recently approved for construction. During this year's legislative session, lawmakers approved the construction of four new ferries: three of the Island Home design, and one 144-car ferry, if funding is available.

"What it does do is provide us some certainty for federal dollars," Moseley said.

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