02/06/2007: "Petition On Ferry Fare Increases"

A group of concerned islanders is launching a countywide petition drive. The drive aims to address concerns about the pending ferry fare increases, the financial health of the system, and the cumulative impacts of fare increases on the sustainability of our ferry dependant communities

Island residents are urged to help roll-back the proposed ferry fare increases by signing the Petition for Sustainable Ferry Funding (see below), and attending the upcoming WSF meetings:

• Monday, Feb. 12 Orcas Island - 6:30 to 8 p.m., Orcas Center 917 Mount Baker Road Eastsound
• Monday, Feb. 12; on Lopez from 9 to 10:30 am at the Lopez island Community Center
• Friday Harbor from 2 to 4 pm at the Mullis Center
• Orcas from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Orcas Hotel
• Thursday, March 1 Anacortes - 9 to 10:30 a.m. Flounder Bay Cafe 2201 Skyline Way

Petitions are available at:

Lopez: Isabels, Cafe Le Boehem, Paper Scissors Rock, the Children's Center, Family Resource Center
Orcas: Orcas village: Orcas Hotel, Cottage Gift Shop
Crow Valley area: Island Hardware
Eastsound: Country Corner, Rainbow Services, Ray's Pharmacy, Teezers, Village Stop
Friday Harbor: Anne Sheridan Photography, Garden Path Cafe, Griffin Bay Books, Harbor Rental, Browne's, Vics

(Petitions are available for signing on Shaw at the kiosk).

Copies of signed petitions will be presented to representatives of the Transportation Commission and WSF attending the Friday Harbor meeting. A subsequent delegation to Olympia is planned to deliver the petitions to the legislature.

For more information please contact: Anne Sheridan at 378-7286, Louise Dustrude at 378-4306, or Lee Sturdivant at 378- 2648

Text of the petition is as follows:

PETITION FOR SUSTAINABLE FERRY FUNDING

To: Gov. Christine Gregoire. members of the Washington State Legislature, and members of the Washington State Transportation Commission: We the undersigned are residents of San Juan County, Washington. We are deeply concerned about the escalation and impact of WSF's annual fare increases, as well as the overall financial health of the state ferry system. The cumulative economic impact of the steep increases in ferry fares over the last five years keeps mounting, seriously threatening the sustainability of our communities. These increases cannot continue without crippling the economic health, social diversity and vitality of our islands.

We are completely dependent on the state ferry system. Ferries are our only highway home, providing our connection to both inter-island and mainland destinations. We depend on the ferries for public transit, and the delivery of our goods and services. Funding WSF's ever-increasing operating costs, as well as a portion of its capital needs, through the fare-box cannot be sustained and is an unfair burden to our captive communities.

We ask for immediate consideration and legislative action to:

• Instruct the State Transportation Commission to hold to the 2.5% general fare increase in the Governor's budget, not the 4% it has recommended for imposition May 1.
• Require that an Economic Impact Study be done of San Juan County that assesses the impacts of tariff increases since the repeal of the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, and prior to the imposition of any future general tariff increases in excess of 2.5%.
• Increase tax-based revenues to WSF operating expense budget to hold fare increases to 2.5% annually, recognizing that fare-box revenues already are contributing a much higher share of operating costs in comparison to other public transportation systems.
• Dedicate tax revenues to the State ferry system to provide a sound long-term foundation to fund both operating and capital requirements. Capital funding must be independent of the fare-box.
• Cancel plans to initiate tariff–based priority loading on WSF ferries. Say NO to "buying your way to the head of the line," where simply a willingness to pay a higher fare is rewarded with priority loading.