03/17/2005: "Public Is Heard By WSF - So Far Anyway"

After reviewing the public input, the Ferry Tariff Advisory Committee altered their proposal to meet many of the demands and concerns expressed in the public meetings. Some of the proposals that have been altered or allowed to remain as they were with minor changes are the following:

The continuing use of multi-ride cards by others than the purchaser of the cards. However it is not clear how this will work with car-and-driver cards, since they have to be inserted into a card reader.

A way for groups to have discount tickets is to be explored, although the administration costs of such a program may be too great to allow this to be viable.

The expiration dates on the tickets may be expanded.

One recommendation that is going to remain in the proposal is the need to increase the price of tickets. The changes will be accompanied by a new proposed increase of -at least- an additional one percent from the original increase of five percent, to a new increase of six percent.

The new proposal will be subject to additional hearings when it is presented to the Transportation Commission on March 23, 2005. The hearing will be held in Seattle.