Ferries Haven't Been Given the Go-Ahead on Reservations - Kitsap Sun

BREMERTON — Washington State Ferries won't require riders to make vehicle reservations anytime soon.

Director David Moseley, acknowledging concerns that customers have voiced about having to call ahead, said Monday night during a meeting in Bremerton that the 2009 Legislature did not provide the money or authority to set up a reservation system. Lawmakers, however, did ask the ferry system to complete a pre-design report by Nov. 1 on what such a system would entail and to start a pilot program on one route by 2011.

That route will be Edmonds-Kingston because it presents several characteristics that need to be addressed. It carries more cars than any other route, moves a large number of commercial vehicles and includes a growing number of commuters.

Operations manager Doug Schlief, who commutes from Port Orchard, is leading the project team. One of his tasks will be to set up a community partnership with Edmonds and Kingston to work through how the system will work.

A reservation system appeals to the ferry system and the Legislature because it would allow them to make the best use of existing facilities. Sometimes cars stack up along the highway for hours waiting to get on a boat. To expand holding areas for them would cost $280 million, Moseley said. If drivers had a space guaranteed for a certain sailing, they wouldn't need to show up early and wait in line. Moseley said he doesn't anticipate charging a fee to make a reservation, but a deposit would be required that would be part of the ticket price.

Moseley said he has contacted about a dozen ferry systems throughout the world about their reservations issues and was told the main reason they require them is for customer convenience. They provide certainty for travelers.

Ferry officials also spoke Monday about the direction given them by the 2009 Legislature, the fare-setting process and their long-range plan.

Fares will go up for the first time since May 2007 on Oct. 11. WSF's only role now is to make a proposal to the state Transportation Commission in mid-July. Following direction from the governor and Legislature, it will recommend a 2.5 percent across-the-board increase. The Transportation Commission can accept or change the proposal, and it has assumed the responsibility from WSF to conduct public hearings in August.

The Legislature in April provided funding to maintain the existing level of service for all routes and to build two new 64-car ferries besides the one that's already in the pipeline. Its budget plan also would pay for two 144-car ferries, but the money hasn't been appropriated. The first 144-car ferry would go to the Mukilteo-Clinton route, in 2013, the second to Bremerton, replacing the 124-car Kitsap. If there's not enough money to build a second 144-car ferry, a fourth 64-car boat would be constructed.

Five new ferries would allow the 87-car Evergreen State, the 60-car Rhododendron and 34-car Hiyu to be retired. An 87-car ferry would replace the Hiyu as the backup boat.

"We will not have reliable service until we build all five of the boats," Moseley said.

WSF's long-range plan calls for five more new boats from 2025 to 2030 to replace the 87-car Tillikum and Klahowya and the 144-car Elwha, Kaleetan and Yakima. The 144-car Hyak will be renovated in 2011.

The Legislature also directed the ferry system to explore opportunities to improve service at Bremerton and report its findings, and the cost, at the 2010 session.

The Legislature's 16-year financial plan comes up $127 million short of covering ferry operations, and there's a $936 million gap in capital spending. WSF's long-range plan extends 22 years, to 2030, and includes five new ferries that aren't in the Legislature's plan, pushing the funding gap to about $3 billion.

The final long-range plan will be available on June 30.

The goal before the next budget comes out for the 2011-13 biennium is to find a sustainable funding source.

"We have to keep our eye on the prize, and that is the prize in the 2011 session, a sustainable funding source," Moseley said. It's clear that the Legislature knows it needs to be addressed, he said.

Brenden Clarke, DOT's project engineer for the Bremerton tunnel, attended the meeting and explained the recent change to require all cars getting off the ferry to go through the tunnel and not be allowed to turn right onto Washington Avenue.

He said that even though turning right on Park Avenue skirting the downtown area is more circuitous, it will probably be faster because cars won't have to wait at all of the traffic signals and crosswalks, and that the roads can handle the traffic. With all the new development downtown, and more planned, bringing more pedestrians, DOT wanted to lessen the chance of vehicle-pedestrian accidents, he said.

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