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01/16/2008: "Councils Concerns On Ferry Service"

(County & Town Councils have a lunch & discuss issues of concern)

The question of ferry service came up at the Tuesday joint-meeting between the Councils of the County and the Town of Friday Harbor, when County Councilman Alan Lichter gave a report on the current state of affairs of the ferry service.

The ferry system is part of the state highway system, and Lichter said that because the ferry service from Anacortes to the Friday Harbor is legally part of state highway 20, service cannot be denied, but the level of service can be.

Councilman Gene Knapp warned the two councils they needed to careful not to be “obnoxious with the state legislature [and if] they change that stature, it is no longer part of the state highway system.. so continue to use good judgment.”.



(continued from front page)
FAC (Ferry Advisory Council) Chair Alex MacLeod told the Island Guardian that a bill has been introduced by Rep. Appleton that would replace the current Transportation Commission with a Ferry Commission that would include members from ferry served communities.

A “seat at the table” on ferry decisions that would go beyond the current, advisory role only, of the FAC, has been long sought by the County. If the Appleton bill should somehow survey the politics of the proposal, SJC may be able to have a direct influence at the state level

In the meantime, the FAC has asked WSF to draft a spring schedule based on the presumption of the Evergreen State not being available, and the Hiyu remaining in place.

MacLeod has concerns about the lack of capacity, and the impacts that will have on commuter runs. He and the other FAC members are additionally concerned about the mainland runs.

MacLeod points out that while the smaller Sealth is available for the mainland runs, it to lacks capacity, and this will impact the Anacortes to Friday Harbor mid-day runs. He said “the mainline boats would have to be used for inter-island service in support of the Hiyu, reducing capacity and trips.

The FAC members believe the schedule should be built around eliminating the international run until the Evergreen State can return.

In response to calls by the County Council for the County to “have a seat at the table”, the FAC plans to “ask that the county FAC participate in WSF's design process for the ferries to be built to replace the steel electrics.

Councilman Ranker said the new boats are being constructed with very little freeboard (i.e. low sides), and expressed his concern they may not be adequate for the winter storms that hit the San Juans.

MacLeod said the boats that will replace the steel electrics are bound to have some impact on the San Juan County runs, even if just as replacements, in the inter-island service. “In the rush to build, we want to make sure the right ferries are built.” He said.