Thanks to $7.6 million more in federal monies for car and passenger ferries that was secured yesterday by U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington, Kitsap Transit will be fully funded for a six month trial run of a high speed, low wake passenger-only ferry to serve the Bremerton-Seattle route. The 118-seat passenger ferry is being manufactured by All American Marine in Bellingham, following authorization in April by the Kitsap Transit board of a $5.3 million construction contract. It's expected to be built by next March and in operation as soon as next June. Funds to pay for the boat's manufacture included proceeds from a special bonding arrangement between Kitsap Transit and the county's housing authority, plus earlier federal grants. Also on the horizon is a passenger-only ferry run between Seattle and Kingston - on the Kitsap Peninsula's northern tip. The Port of Kingston has $3.5 million in federal money to help launch the service with a new boat but must find funding for a back-up vessel. Here's a business plan the port presented to the Puget Sound Regional Council (pdf).
This latest federal infusion for ferries in Washington state includes $1.3 million for operations of the new Kitsap Transit foot ferry in the planned six-month trial run, to evaluate how well wake impacts are reduced; and another $1.3 million to prepare the dock to accommodate the vessel, the Kitsap Sun reports today. The $7.6 million also includes $2 million for King County's passenger ferry district to buy a replacement for the old, slow tour boat used on its popular West Seattle Water Taxi, and $3 million for Washington State Ferries toward upgrading its car ferry terminal in Anacortes, the gateway to the San Juan Islands.
Cascadia Center has consistently championed expanded foot ferries as part of a forward-looking multi-modal transit system for metro Puget Sound. Key touchpoints in this effort include a May, 2008 conference on the Seattle waterfront where another low-wake high-speed foot ferry built by All American Marine was demo'd. Cascadia also organized a July, 2007 foot ferry symposium at Salty's in West Seattle and in 2003 organized a special trip for policy-makers and opinion leaders to the San Francisco Bay Area to see their extensive foot ferry system in operation.
The completion of funding for the fast foot ferry trial in Bremerton is the latest and most upbeat chapter in a long and drawn-out saga.
One of the best ways to get around metropolitan regions without a car....is on the water. And you need not own a boat yourself. In the San Francisco Bay Area, there's an extensive network of passenger-only ferries - they carry people, but not cars. The Bay Area Water Emergency Transit Authority promotes a combined 14 commuter and leisure routes, and is considering more. WETA was created in 2004 to consolidate several long-standing passenger-only ferry routes in the Bay Area, and coordinate emergency response for all. As the "emergency" in the agency's name implies, one focus is being prepared to deploy foot ferries to connect people and places in case of a natural disaster such as an earthquake, or a terrorist attack. Either could decommission roads, bridges and highways. But WETA's main charge is boosting regional daily water transit.
To update the Bay Area's foot ferry fleet, the agency recently took delivery of a new, $8.8 million, 149-passenger twin-hulled catamaran constructed by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Freeland, Washington - on Whidbey Island, right here in our very own Puget Sound. The company has built 41 similar vessels since 1982 but the latest iteration is state of the art, as the South Whidbey Island Record reports. Nichols Brothers is already building a second model for WETA, one of three more boats the agency has ordered to date and expects to have running this year.
WETA hopes to have 10 new boats operating by 2025. Fleet expansion and replacement takes foresight and finance. As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, the new vessels are financed by a one-dollar hike in Bay Area bridge tolls which was implemented at the beginning of 2007. The Gemini, which also carries up to 34 bicycles, will initially run between San Francisco and the East Bay.
Meanwhile, the other foot ferry agency in the Bay Area, which also operates the Golden Gate bridge (above at left), has bought for $4 million two late-90s vintage high speed passenger-only vessels from Washington State Ferries. The boats will run between San Francisco, and Larkspur and Sausalito. They were used on the Bremerton-Seattle passenger-only route, which was discontinued because of lawsuits from waterfront homeowners in narrow Rich Passage who contended the voluminous wakes from the boats caused shoreline erosion. That is not expected to be an issue in the more open waters of the Bay Area.
WSF, which continues to operate a badly aging and fiscally-strapped system of car ferries, gradually got out of the foot ferry business (it also operated the Vashon Island-Seattle route) after passage of I-695 in 1999 cut car license tab fees used for funding.
Foot ferries remain in Puget Sound, though. King County has created a foot ferry district - funded by a portion of the property tax - to operate the Vashon-Seattle route, the West Seattle Water Taxi and several demonstration routes which could become permanent, depending on ridership. Bremerton and Kitsap County will test a new low-wake high-speed foot ferry on the Bremerton-Seattle route. The Port of Kingston plans a Kingston-Seattle route. San Juan and Whatcom counties are exploring a Friday Harbor-Bellingham run. Securing full funding is still an issue in each of these last three instances, and shoreline impact challenges remain pressing for Bremerton-Seattle, as Kitsap Transit's Executive Director Dick Hayes writes in the Kitsap Sun.
Compared to the unified approach of the Bay Area, the future for Western Washington foot ferries looks pretty uncertain, and pronouncedly ad hoc. But some sort of unifying regional agreement with additional funding provisions is worth further discussion. This approach could better allow current and future operators to develop - to some degree - shared facilities, equipment, promotion, and management.
In metro Vancouver, British Columbia, a company named Coast Mountain Bus operates, for the regional transit agency TransLink, the SeaBus passenger-only ferry service. Two double-ended 400-passenger catamarans run across scenic Burrard Inlet (one is pictured above) from Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, a community connected to Vancouver and the mainland by the local road and bridge network. Trip time is 12 minutes. A variety of direct transit connections are available at both ends - a bus network in North Vancouver including routes to Grouse Mountain (pictured below) and the Capilano Suspension Bridge; and at Waterfront Station, direct connections to light rail, commuter rail and buses. Two boats, the Burrard Otter and the Burrard Beaver, ply the route. But they are each 30 years old and require maintenance often enough for TransLink to purchase a new third boat to keep schedules on track during repairs and then expand service frequency in 2010.
On the whole, the Vancouver region's foot ferry service, and particularly the Bay Area's, provide an example for Puget Sound. Here, our extensive water highway is used by plenty of lumbering, aged car ferries but precious few of the more nimble passenger-only vessels which encourage broader multi-modal transit use, walking and cycling, and can provide crucial emergency transportation.
If all goes as planned, work will begin in September on a fast, low-wake, fuel-efficient prototype ferry. The $3.7 million, 149-passenger, foil-assisted catamaran will be unique, built after more than seven years of wake research to meet the challenges presented by Rich Passage.
At a special meeting on Tuesday, Kitsap Transit board members approved a plan for construction and operation of the craft, using $4.2 million in federal grants and $1.8 million in New Markets Tax Credits in cooperation with the non-profit Marine Transportation Association of Kitsap and Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority.
With the funds, MTAK would get a prototype low-wake ferry built by All American Marine in Bellingham, then lease it to Kitsap Transit. The craft would carry passengers between Bremerton and Seattle during a wake and fare research test period of six months or more, beginning next summer or fall and funded by the start-up funding.
Beyond that initial period, operations are uncertain. Kitsap Transit would seek additional grant or loan money; if none is available, the boat may be used on the Port Orchard-Bremerton foot-ferry run, or it could be leased to King County, which is actively pursuing passenger-only ferry service. As traffic volume, gas prices and environmental pressures increase in our land-based transportation systems, the advantages of water transit systems are becoming more evident in the Puget Sound region.
Go Kitsap! Despite the inevitable skepticism of critics, we believe that low-wake high-speed passenger-only ferries will play a growing role in Puget Sound's transit mix. There's an uncongested, free water highway out there we'd be foolish not to utilize more fully with nimble, low-wake passenger-only boats for leisure travelers and commuters alike. The trick will be finding the right public-private funding split; and mustering the political leadership to build support for regional fast foot ferries.
King County's formation of its own passenger-only ferry district to run several demonstration routes in addition to current Vashon Island-Seattle and West Seattle-Seattle service is a good initial step. Also encouraging is the Port of Kingston's winning of a $3.5 million federal grant to help launch passenger-only ferry service between Kingston, in northern Kitsap County, and downtown Seattle. Under the grant conditions, the funds will be released after the state legislature enacts its expected tolling plan for the State Route 520 bridge in King County. This must occur before September 30, 2009, and is all but guaranteed, although the exact nature of that plan remains to be determined. The port has applied for another $900,000 from the state to add to its start-up kitty. Port director Mike Bookey, a former high-tech exec from Seattle's Eastside 'burbs, has a solid business plan for the operation to become self-sufficient, and profitable after four years.
A consortium in Whatcom County last year got a $1 million state grant for a facility where next-generation passenger-only ferries will be built. There's a growing world market for these boats. Let's hope Puget Sound gets a piece of that. At both ends.
The Kitsap effort adds to the slowly gathering momentum here on passenger-only ferries.
Susan Gilmore's article in today's Seattle Times on the Island Home ferry planned for the Port Townsend-Keystone route was spot on in describing how nice the ferry is for riders. Over the Memorial Day weekend, my family had a chance to ride on the new Island Home ferry (as well as the older ferry that also serves the route) in Massachusetts, from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard. We came away impressed.
As the Times' piece indicates, there is a special deck-top area for free wireless Internet connection. Other amenities include comfortable seats (with cupholders!), quiet areas on the first passenger deck, and a well-stocked snack area that handled the packed crowds quickly with dual stations. Unlike Washington State Ferries policy, leashed dogs were surprisingly allowed throughout most of the passenger areas. And while there were many canines, there were no problems.
Unlike the older boat which has to back out of the dock, the Island Home has twin helms like WSF's, which allows for quicker turnarounds. The 60-car boat carries 1,200 passengers (which seems a lot for the Port Townsend-Keystone run) and some of the crew I interviewed said the skippers complain about the height of the vessel catching more wind, making it more difficult to maneuver in tight quarters. The wind was blowing a steady 20 knots when we rode it but the skipper did not seem to have a problem. The vessel is noted for its sturdiness and smooth sailing in rough weather. This will be a strength when crossing often-turbulent Admiralty Inlet. The route provides an important connection for business and tourism. A major road and another car ferry connect mainland Western Washington to scenic Whidbey Island. The car ferry from Keystone, on Whidbey's southwest side, connects at Port Townsend with a destination Victorian town which also serves as eastern gateway to the Olympic Peninsula.
The Island Home is designed by Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle. New boats had to be selected after WSF's aging Steel Electric-class ferries were taken out of service last fall for safety reasons. The state decided on the Island Home boats last month, and hopes to have two of the ferries in service on the Port Townsend-Keystone route by 2010. This is instead of initial plans for a new car ferry modeled after a more weather-sensitive boat now being leased from Pierce County. Riding the Island Home is a great experience. All in all, the Island Home ferries should be a welcome addition to Puget Sound.
Last week's fast foot ferry demo and regional foot ferry discussion forum in Seattle, organized by Cascadia Center, stoked the fires again. KOMO 4 TV, The Kitsap Sun and The Peninsula Daily News all weighed in with coverage. Participants came away energized by the ride on All American Marine's 50 mph River Gorge Explorer (right); determined to find a way to fund a regional network of state-of-the-art passenger-only ferries; and understanding that Puget Sound's health must be maintained at the same time. The common thread is the huge population growth headed our way in coming decades. Before we delve into last week's events, let's set the stage.
Off, Then On Again
The speedy passenger-only state ferry running between Bremerton and Seattle several years ago was a great ride but the heavy wake impact on shoreline properties led Rich Passage homeowners to sue, successfully ending the route. The ferry used then and a companion model are now being sold because the cash-starved state system is getting out of passenger-only ferry operations. Washington State Ferries is still operating a troubled, and badly aging fleet of car ferries.
Opportunities abound for local and regional operators of passenger-only ferries. The Port of Kingston will be launching a route to and from Seattle with a $3.5 million federal grant tied to variable-rate tolling SR 520, and possibly another $900,000 from the state. One-way fares will be about $13 and the Port predicts the route could be profitable as soon as four years out. King County's new passenger-only ferry district relies on a small hike in the property tax. They'll operate two current routes (between downtown and West Seattle and Vashon Island) and test out several more. Meanwhile, the Puget Sound Regional Council is deep into a study of how best to organize and fund a regional passenger-only ferry system, and Kitsap County will take delivery next year of a new low-wake high-speed foot ferry to be tested on the Bremerton-Seattle run. All eyes will be on Rich Passage.
Staggering Growth = New Marine Highway Plan
To top it all off, it's becoming clearer every week, that with 1.7 million newcomers expected by 2040 and as many as four million more by 2100 according to the Seattle Times, our region's approach to marine transportation needs to focus at least as much on vehicle-free passenger vessels as car ferries. So the idea of a regional passenger-only ferry network run by a consortium on cities, counties, ports, tribes and private operators is gradually moving from the "what if?" stage to the "how to."
A Regional Approach
In early December, at a summit on the state's underfunded and decaying car ferry system, Cascadia Center presented a draft interlocal agreement for regional passenger-only ferries. Bremerton Mayor Cary Bozeman (below, left) also then floated the idea of developing a joint funding vehicle for Puget Sound cleanup and passenger ferries. Little more than a week later, one of the state's mothballed 350-seat passenger ferries was pressed into service between Port Townsend and Seattle, after Port Townsend's economy reeled from the sudden forced retirement of the aged car ferry connecting it with Keystone, on Whidbey Island. The temporary holiday season run between Port Townsend and Seattle proved wildly popular though economically unsustainable due to fuel costs of the big boat, and heavily subsidized fares.
In it, he outlined a proposed regional compact to share resources and best practices to run foot ferries on the Salish Sea, the Native name for Puget Sound. Following Bozeman's lead, he also proposed this be coupled with more resources for preserving the Sound's water quality as growth and development take their toll.
Would You Leave Your Car Behind?
All this was the focus of a special gathering last week in Seattle, replete with a demonstration ride on a hot rod foot ferry. The sleek, 70-seat low wake River Gorge Explorer was manufactured by All American Marine of Bellingham as an eco-tour boat for the Tennesee Aquarium. A 149-seat version with a lower wake will be delivered by All American to Kitsap Transit next year for test runs between Bremerton and Seattle, through Rich Passage. The half-hour excursion on Elliot Bay last week left many riders convinced that demonstration runs across Puget Sound for commuters and leisure travellers would be a phenomenal sales tool. All American Marine CEO Matt Mullet agreed, saying special lease arrangements could make that possible.
In addition to Vashon to Seattle and West Seattle to Seattle, it's not hard to envision low wake fast foot ferries winning large riderships on other routes. Such as Southworth-Seattle, Kingston-Seattle, Everett-Seattle, Bremerton-Seattle, Kirkland-UW (on Lake Washington), Bainbridge-Des Moines (Sea-Tac Airport), and Vancouver-Seattle. For commuters especially, last mile connections would be key.
At the passenger-only ferry forum hosted last Thursday May 8 by Port of Seattle Commissioner Bill Bryant in the Port's meeting chambers, and organized by Cascadia Center, Bremerton Mayor Bozeman made the case for Puget Sound clean-up and more regional foot ferries, together:
Our ferry system should look a lot different. Should we be transporting people across Puget Sound, not cars? I think the proportion should be at least equal. At the same time, the environmental quality of this body of water is crucial. These two issues can come together, and they should.
There's a lot of enthusiasm for passenger-only ferries. We have an auto-centric ferry system, and you have to wonder if that's sustainable, given the costs of construction and operations of car ferries. But we don't want a range of different passenger-only ferry jurisdictions. We need a regional overlay.
Regional MVET: A Starting Point For Discussions
In a memo prepared for the event, Cascadia's Agnew states that a good starting point for the funding conversation is a voter-approved regional motor vehicle excise tax of $50 with a healthy percentage going for:
matching funds to ports and private vessel operators for ferry terminal construction and rehab;
pooled Sound-wide purchases of new high-tech, low-wake locally constructed passenger-only ferries, and creation of joint maintenance facilities;
multi-county surface water runoff and culvert rehab projects to aid Puget Sound water quality;
foot ferries on call for critical emergency transportation in case of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
As a non-profit, Cascadia Center does not advocate specific legislation. We traffic in ideas. As such, we'll be conducting interviews of key stakeholders on regional funding options and governance framework for passenger-only ferries so that city, county and port elected officials bring forth their own unified proposal to the legislature in 2009.
You can get a good sense of the possibilities for routes and funding from this April 2008 consultant report prepared for the Puget Sound Regional Council's passenger-only ferry study. Pages 5-1 to 5-9 discuss federal, state, private and farebox funding options. Skeptics should take a close look. This is hardly a pipe dream. Like all our region's other transportation funding challenges, it's not a matter of scant resources; but rather vision, and leadership.
Here's a pretty safe bet. As the teeming hordes continue to descend upon the Seattle region, we'll be seeing more passenger-only ferries on Puget Sound in coming years, not less. One way or another.
The Seattle Times reports the retiring of four badly-deteriorated, 1927-vintage Steel Electric Class car ferries by Washington State Ferries has prompted not only a shifting of state ferry project funds to pay for three replacement vessels, but also temporary passenger-only ferry service between Seattle and Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. More details on the new foot ferry route from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Port Townsend, a top Northwest tourist destination known for its Victorian architecture, arts community, walkable shopping district, maritime history and Olympic Peninsula access, has been hit hard since car ferry service from Keystone on Whidbey Island was cancelled in late November. By January, the state aims to have a temporary replacement car ferry (from Pierce County) in place, and a new one running in 14 months. But in the near term, a passenger-only ferry the state had been about to sell on E-Bay, the MV Snohomish, began running from Seattle to Port Townsend Thursday, December 13. (Map and brief synopsis, both by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, right).
That's an attractive run to a great destination, though perhaps more alluring - weather-wise - during the spring, summer and fall than winter. It's the kind of route that a private operator, as opposed to the state, might consider running......with a smaller, more fuel- and cost-efficient boat than the 350-seat MV Snohomish.
Tim Caldwell, General Manager of the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce, says the organization sees passenger-only ferries and a more robust regional intermodal transit system as key to the future for their region, boosting tourism and, long-term, helping preserve the natural wonders of the Olympic Peninisula. In an e-mail interview, Caldwell tells Cascadia Prospectus:
The Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce has sponsored several PT-Seattle passenger-only ferry excursions. Its most recent was during the August, 2003 Hood Canal Bridge closure. During this three-day closure, the Chamber, in cooperation with Aqua Express, Jefferson Transit, the City of Port Townsend, and Puget Sound Energy, provided a Friday through Sunday service that proved a great success. As one visitor remarked, "it was like Christmas in August."Â
Given the current situation regarding the loss of auto ferry service to Port Townsend, a high speed passenger-only ferry link between Seattle and Port Townsend is an opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of alternative transportation. The 90-minute,$6.70 round trip, with a free Jefferson Transit day pass for Port Townsend-bound passengers, is an excellent example of seamless transportation.Â
Admittedly, the time of year, and the short notice for promoting the service makes it difficult to realize the full potential of the service, but we believe every demonstration run creates new converts to the idea of expanding the passenger-only ferry network throughout the Puget Sound region.Â
Both the City of Port Townsend and Fort Worden State Park are formulating long range strategic plans that will provide amenities and marketing intended to draw greater attention to the community. The transportation element of the planning will focus on systems and services which will allow travelers to visit without their vehicles. High speed passenger-only ferry service with complementary ground transportation are essential elements of these plans.
The Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce strongly believes the compelling attraction of the natural wonders of the Olympic Peninsula will be better preserved by focusing on alternative transportation services that minimize the impact on the environment. We contend passenger-only ferry service is key to the solution.
The state ferry system was planning to sell the Snohomish and one other similarly-sized passenger-only ferry because it had decided to get out of the passenger-only ferry business. That decision isn't likely to change, long term, and in the meantime, all kinds of indications hint that passenger-only ferries, once integral transportation here during the old "Mosquito Fleet" days, might make a come-back.
The Puget Sound Regional Council, an important planning - but not decision-making - body, continues its study into how best to coordinate and govern passenger-only ferry service regionally. A consultant memo on possible regional foot ferry governance structures was presented at a meeting of the study's advisory committee this week. It noted one feasible option would be putting passenger ferry route planning and financing under a larger regional transportation super-agency for central Puget Sound. (Snohomish, King, Pierce and perhaps Kitsap County could be included; and the same mutli-county approach to transportation decision-making and funding could be replicated elsewhere in the state and the I-5 corridor in particular). On p. 4 of the report linked directly above, Becca Aue of Nelson Nygaard writes to PSRC staff:
For some time the Puget Sound region, as well as the state Legislature, has been discussing the idea of regional transportation governance. In its 2006 Final Report to Governor Gregoire, the Regional Transportation Commission recommended that the Washington State Legislature create a 15-member Puget Sound Regional Transportation Commission (PSRTC) with authority and responsibility for planning, prioritizing and funding all modes of regional transportation for the four-county
area. Although no legislative action has been taken to implement this recommendation, the idea is still alive and will likely receive further debate. Should the PSRTC be created, this body could oversee and develop POF service for "regionally-significant" routes (which would need to be defined), or possibly all POF services within the region.
A regional transportation super-agency continues to draw public support from influential backers.
Folding in oversight of passenger-only ferries would make a lot of sense if a regional transportation decision-making body - to plan, prioritize and fund road and transit projects, with voter approval - can actually gain approval from state legislators. A bill passed the State Senate last year but died in the House, under pressure from varied interests concerned it would undermine passage of the now-defeated roads-and-transit ballot measure Proposition 1 in November.
One way to ehance regional coordination and boost funding prospects for passenger-only ferries on Puget Sound (and Lake Washington) would be the adoption of a voluntary interlocal agreement among ports, cities, tribes, private foot ferry operators, labor and Washington State Ferries. The aim would be to pool resources, coordinate routes, and embrace joint public and private-sector cooperation. Cascadia Center recently presented at a ferry system summit in Bremerton some principles upon which such an agreement could be based. The finance piece is key, of course. Cascadia's memorandum brief notes:
Funding options to be explored should include the federal ferry discretionary fund; capital funds from ports in the region; hotel/motel taxes; reasonable government subsidies; and concessions at redeveloped ferry gateways.
As the regional foot ferries initiative continues to develop, keep your eye on the Port of Kingston. Kingston is a north Kitsap County community with an unserved market of locals, extending out in a radius to larger towns such as Port Townsend, and Port Angeles on the Oylmpic Peninsula, who need and want direct passenger-ferry access to Seattle from a location more convenient than the jammed car ferry operation further south at Winslow, where vehicle-free riders must contend with spotty transit connections from north Kitsap, or pricey parking. The Port has been bolstered by an imminent $3.5 million federal start-up grant for the route. It's part of a larger, $139 million federal Urban Partnerships congestion-fighting grant to the region which depends on state approval of tolls on SR 520.
The port is also seeking another $900,000 from a special state ferry fund, and plans to initiate foot ferry service from Kingston to Seattle on an 80- to 100-seat boat, achieving 100 percent fare-box recovery, and profitability, by year four of operation.
One-way travel time would be 35 minutes, and fares $12 with a qaurterly pass, $13.50 with a ticket book, and $15 for walk-ons. There'd be one more boat for back-up. The Port would own and operate the run but could still sub-contract.
Bearing in mind an earlier private sector attempt which failed due to excess seating capacity, high fuel costs and operating expenses, a lean operation is key. That was the message to the PSRC study advisory committee this week from Port of Kingston Director Mike Bookey, a self-described "refugee" from Eastside high-tech start-up companies.
As several members of the study advisory committee noted, a lot is riding on the success of the Kingston-Seattle foot ferry route.
If the concept is proved, the planned Kingston-Seattle foot ferry could serve as one model for the region, providing waterborne transport from a convenient multi-county gathering point across Puget Sound to Seattle. Another model is to connect higher-density cities on the eastern (Seattle) side of the Sound with each other. Fast Tacoma-Seattle and Everett- Seattle foot ferries could do a lot to relieve I-5 congestion. Finally, there's the tourism-based model, already illustrated by Victoria Clipper's Seattle-Victoria, B.C. passenger-only service, and now, also by the temporary Seattle-Port Townsend run.
So until January 6th, holiday season atmo in Port Townsend is an easy, car-free day-trip away. So why not hop on the Seattle-Port Townsend passenger-only ferry, sit back, and enjoy the ride? Make sure you find lovely Chetzemoka Park in Port Townsend, and the pathway there down to the beach. More information on the temporary passenger-only ferry to Port Townsend here and here, including the schedule.
TECHNORATI TAGS: PASSENGER-ONLY FERRIES, FOOT FERRIES, PORT TOWNSEND, SEATTLE, KINGSTON, WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES, EVERETT, TACOMA, PUGET SOUND REGIONAL COUNCIL
The Seattle region is blessed with a tremendous natural endowment which doubles as a crucial piece of transportation infrastructure - Puget Sound. State and Pierce County car ferries already ply the Sound, as do a mix of public and commercial, privately-operated passenger-only vessels in King, Snohomish, Whatcom and San Juan counties. For the Puget Sound region, passenger-only ferries on the namesake waterway and on sprawling Lake Washington could be an increasingly viable transportation choice given current road congestion. With sufficient foresight and political leadership, passenger-only ferries plus expanded bus rapid transit and commuter rail could really begin to deliver more and better choices for commuters, other local daytrippers, and visitors who wish to escape the tyranny of traffic.
To lay the groundwork for a new era of passenger-only ferries, the King County Ferry District was formed after the passage of enabling state legislation. Key goals were: 1) sustain the Vashon-Island to Seattle passenger-only ferry route which Washington State Ferries decided to no longer operate; 2) enhance and expand the county's popular Elliott Bay Water Taxi route between Seacrest Park in West Seattle and Pier 55 downtown; and 3) run several demonstration routes on Puget Sound and Lake Washington to see which ones draw enough ridership to become sustainable. The envisioned new routes - such as Kirkland-Seattle, Renton-Seattle and Des Moines-Seattle - would provide alternatives to congested road corridors such as SR 520 and I-5.
All that is now a big step closer to implementation. Yesterday, the county council - sitting as the ferry district - approved a property tax of just more than 5 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation, which will cost the owner of a $400,000 home another $22 annually. Combined with other funding sources already identified for boats and landside improvements, the newly-approved tax will pay for the county's passenger-only ferry plan. The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer report; likewise the West Seattle Herald.
Cascadia Center believes that the council's action is an important first step toward a comprehensive regional network of passenger-only ferries that must be carefully coordinated across county boundaries and supported by private as well as public investment. In written testimony we submitted to the county, we stated:
A voluntary inter-local agreement should be drawn up so that resources can be pooled and routes coordinated for passenger-only ferry service on Puget Sound. Signatories to the agreement should include local and county governments with a stake in passenger ferry operations, Washington State Ferries, ports, tribes, labor, and private operators...
Additional funding sources for passenger-only ferries in Puget Sound can include the federal ferry discretionary fund; hotel/motel taxes; government subsidies comparable to other forms of public transit; and concessions at redeveloped ferry gateways.
Public-private partnerships will be necessary and should be encouraged to help engender enduring passenger-only ferry service in King County, and the region. There must be a convergence between private passenger boat operators who provide sterling customer service, and the experience and skill of maritime labor....Opportunities should be sought to secure funding for passenger-only ferry infrastructure and operations through development fees or concession revenues stemming from new or remodeled terminals.
As new routes are implemented, timely transit connections will be vital to their success, as will sufficient parking.....Close consideration should also be given to terminal and waiting facilities -- the movement should be away from drab, utilitarian and unwelcoming structures, to integrated transit nodes with warm, comfortable shelter and a range of commercial amenities.
As the technology advances, King County and other passenger-only ferry operators should seek all possible assistance and partnerships to ensure that the vessels in service are the latest and best models - providing the greatest speed with the lowest possible impacts to the marine environment, shorelines and air quality.
If bridges and highways are severed during an earthquake, Puget Sound will need a flotilla of....passenger vessels that are U.S. Coast Guard-certified to help assure mobility for emergency responders and others.
We believe there is significant potential for north-south routes on Puget Sound, and on Lake Washington, which could help provide alternatives to congested roadways.
The first demonstration route will be on Lake Washington from Kirkland to Seattle (likely the University of Washington) and back, beginning in July, 2009. That would be followed by another demonstration route between Seattle and the South Puget Sound city and port of Des Moines, beginning in 2010. Additional demonstration routes, introduced one per year thereafter, would be: Kenmore-Seattle and Renton-Seattle on Lake Washington; and Shilshole Marina in northwest Seattle to downtown, via Puget Sound.
Meanwhile, beyond King County borders, there have been other recent and promising developments for passenger-only ferries.
It all spells a clear re-awakening among decision-makers to the mobility benefits of smaller, more nimble passenger-only ferries in Western Washington. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial board is enthused; the Kitsap Sun's editorialists, too. Seattle Times associate editorial page editor Lee Moriwaki writes that passenger-only ferries need to be understood as part of the broader public infrastructure that binds together our community.
TECHNORATI TAGS: PASSENGER-ONLY FERRIES, FOOT FERRIES, KING COUNTY, SEATTLE, PUGET SOUND, KITSAP COUNTY, TRANSIT, ROAD CONGESTION, TRAFFIC
A flurry of developments suggests passenger-only ferries are gaining momentum in Puget Sound. In recent months there have been seven routes in operation: the state's Vashon Island to downtown Seattle run; King County's West Seattle to downtown Seattle water taxi; Kitsap Transit's Port Orchard to Bremerton foot ferry; and four longer, privately operated routes to the San Juans Islands and Victoria. Now, add another local water taxi, and - it appears - another major regional passenger ferry route.
From today through late November, the Electric Boat Company will run reservation-only water taxis connecting neighborhood docks along Seattle's Lake Union, as KOMO4-TV reports. Here's the schedule. In addition, the Port of Kingston - in northeast Kitsap County across Puget Sound from Seattle's near-northern neighbors - has received a $3.5 million federal grant to fund Kingston-Seattle foot ferry service. The Kitsap Sun reports on this likely resurrection of a foot ferry run that didn't pencil out for one operator, Aqua Express, in 2005. Nels Sultan of Kingston Express will bid on the route and says he can make it work in part by starting small with just one boat.
There's more. A recent Urban Partnership grant of $138 million from the feds to the state and King County to implement tolls on the State Route 520 Floating Bridge and cut regional traffic snarls included $11 million for the state ferry system and within that pool, $1.1 million to expand service on the current Vashon Island-Seattle foot ferry.
Meanwhile, the West Seattle Herald reports that West Seattle water taxi ridership is up and a local advisory group called the Pier 1-Pier 2 Committee is suggesting the route's West Seattle dock be shifted from pinched accomodations at Seacrest Park a short distance south to the Port of Seattle's Jack Block Park, where there's far more room for park-and-ride spaces. That's a good idea. The current King County Metro water taxi shuttle bus to Seacrest Park is very small and only runs to and from Alki and the West Seattle Junction. Parking near the current Seacrest Park dock off Harbor Avenue is highly constained, as is space for larger buses. A large park-and-ride lot and room for mid-size buses with a longer range than the current shuttle routes is necessary to grow the water taxi service.
All this comes as the Puget Sound transportation planners are looking closely at how to best develop a regional passenger-only ferry system.
Last month, as part of a current study, the Puget Sound Regional Council released a white paper on on issues and trends affecting the future viability of a passenger-only ferry network. Among the key preliminary findings:
passenger-only ferries must be conceived and implemented in the Puget Sound region as a unified network which meshes with other transit modes and routes;
the public and decision-makers will have to be convinced the regional mobility benefits justify the costs;
(even if private operators are involved) the service must be framed as public transportation, with subsidy levels comparable to other public transit modes;
high-density "transit-oriented development" can be a significant driver of passenger-only ferry traffic, but trade-offs must be clearly illustrated to communities;
labor is the largest cost driver, and wages vary based on employer and whether employees are unionized or not. Scheduling is also a key cost factor. "Peak period service is most economical when using a split shift, with two distinct morning and evening segments. If the vessel is running all day, it is necessary to provide multiple shifts;"
funding for passenger-only ferries includes seven different federal sources, property taxes by ferry districts of up to 75 cents per $1,000 assesssed valuation, state budget appropriations, voter-approved sales and use taxes, motor vehicle excise taxes within a public transportation benefit area, fares, charters, employer subsidies, development fees and concession revenues;
Puget Sound and lake routes to be analyzed further for feasibility, with updated demand estimates, include Renton to Seattle (Leschi) on Lake Washington, Kirkland (across Lake Washington) to University of Washington to Seattle docks on Lake Union, Kingston-Seattle, Bainbridge Island Seattle, Bremerton-Seattle, Clinton (south Whidbey Island)-Seattle, Tacoma-Des Moines-Seattle and Southworth-Seattle.
The draft white paper prepared for the PSRC by Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates notes that the Washington State Ferries (almost entirely a car ferry network at this point) is the largest ferry system in the U.S. and carries 25 million passengers annually. However, in 2003, 44 percent of all passengers were walk-ons and that percentage is projected to grow to 62 percent by 2030. By that year regional population will have grown 39 percent since 2000 and employment 42 percent.
If our much-vaunted emphasis on growth management is to mean anything at all in the face of such changes, governments will need to make high-density development a more attractive proposition by emphasizing livability through added green space, better policing (in Seattle), and fast, convenient regional transit including bus rapid transit and foot ferries.
What is the optimal arrangement for Puget Sound ferries in future decades? Given the spike in gasoline prices, current road congestion, the coming age of tolling, and the continuing push for greater urban and suburban density, a regional foot ferry network could really make sense in the end.
Recent news shows that interest is already high and the possibilities are many. When the PSRC study is done, county councils, local governments and private foot ferry operators will have a road map to developing a viable system in Puget Sound. But, no less important than financial considerations and land-use and transportation planning will be political leadership.
TECHNORATI TAGS: PASSENGER-ONLY FERRIES, FOOT FERRIES, PUGET SOUND, LAKE UNION WATER TAXI, KINGSTON, SEATTLE, VASHON ISLAND, WEST SEATTLE, PUGET SOUND REGIONAL COUNCIL
In an Oregonian op-ed titled "The Ready River Of Transit At Our Core," sustainable developer Peter Wilcox argues for the innate feasibility of an urban water bus system connecting otherwise disparate communities along the landmark Willamette River, a major north-south regional artery. As in the Seattle region, where supporters of an expanded regional passenger-only ferry network met recently to plot next steps, the water in Portland seems a natural piece of transit infrastructure waiting to be more fully developed. Wilcox writes:
What would Portland look like if we made the incredible Willamette River our most visible and sustainable public transportation mode? Talk about disparate parts getting connected. Talk about opportunities for many more carless trips....It has long puzzled me that so many of us are willing to let the river exist mostly as something we observe from afar or as a speedy thoroughfare for powerful big-wake boats.....the Willamette could be so much more to our residents and a much more accessible attracter for visitors as well.
The feasibility study that Portland's Office of Transportation commissioned a year ago... found that a "central city circulator" -- another term for a river-based bus line connecting what are now disparate close-in neighborhoods -- is feasible right now. River buses could readily circulate from Oaks Park, Ross Island and South Waterfront to Union Station, the Pearl and Swan Island, crossing the river at key places and times. Later, as more people were able to use the system for travel and commuting, it could stretch to Milwaukie and St. Johns or beyond, spurring transit-friendly development.
...the city (should) set standards for docks, begin including sustainable river transit in political visions and plans, and agree on ways to go after the same available dock and shoreside facility funds that other cities are using. Given at least 10,000 years of river transport in the Northwest -- certainly the first public transit in Portland -- we deserve a web of transportation that includes green river transit...
For years, Portlanders have debated the value of passenger services operating on the Willamette River. Not only could such services offer promise for moving people without claiming expensive new rights-of-way, but they also present an opportunity to reconnect the City with one of its greatest natural assets. Throughout Portland's history, the Willamette River has been the backbone for industry and commerce; as a result, the City has turned its residential neighborhoods and recreation facilities away from the river.
In recent years Portlanders have begun to recognize the unmistakable value of the Willamette River as an urban amenity. The Vera Katz Esplanade has created new access to the Riverfront east of downtown, rapid development at South Waterfront is transforming a riverside brownfield into an accessible waterfront neighborhood, planned improvements to Tom McCall Waterfront Park will improve the connection between Downtown/Old Town and the Willamette River, furthermore, development in the Pearl District is now reaching the river and will soon transform the waterfront between the Broadway and Fremont bridges. Increased business, residential and visitor activity on the riverfront increases the viability of river-based transportation services.
The study cites additional positives stemming from foot ferries on the Willamette - noting that river-oriented transit would:
be concentrated and sustainable;
actually boost support for environmental restoration along the river;
provide an enhanced experience of the region for visitors and tourists;
and provide transportation alternatives as roadway congestion grows.
However the study ultimately carries a mixed verdict for Portland-region foot ferry backers. On the upside, it finds that in-city "seasonal circulator" service could well be worth a shot, provided there is a strong push by advocates for both political support and supplemental funding from non-government sources. However, the study also finds that regional year-round commuter service isn't currently feasible due to high costs for operations and landside infrastructure. Such service could become feasible in the future, the study reports, if some of the following conditions are met:
travel times on roadways paralleling the river become slower than that of a foot ferry covering the same points of origin and destination;
there are population increases of 10 percent or more in identified foot ferry markets that are 20-plus minutes distant from downtown Portland and lack other high-capacity transit modes;
a significant increase occurs in high-density residential and commercial development adjacent to the river in suburban locales;
there is a change in cost structures that lower operating costs.
From my read of the study, labor costs do not appear to be unreasonable, with each foot ferry requiring a U.S. Coast Guard-certified captain at an annual salary of $50,500 and an unlicensed deckhand at $24,600; with taxes and benefits bringing those combined crew costs per boat to $105,600 a year.
The real bugaboo is other operating costs including fuel and landside infrastructure, plus weak projected ridership, and what economists call "demand elasticity" - meaning in this case there's a price discomfort point for transit fares beyond which many potential customers will seek cheaper alternatives.
There is some point in urban region transportation planning at which the "green eyeshade" accountant's approach, reliant as it is on projections of future use and costs per rider, clashes with the visionary, or "build it and they will come" approach.
For passenger-only ferry commuter networks thought to compare poorly on costs to buses or rail, the willingness of private sector players to provide and rationalize funding grows in importance.
Major employers and business alliances with the most to gain from expanded foot ferry operations would need to be persuaded to get on board. This in turn goes back to employee and customer preferences regarding local and regional travel. Getting to and from the dock at each end has to be convenient and quick, or the premise can't go much further than a seasonal novelty. Marketing campaigns would need to highlight the "portal to portal" time advantage for specific foot ferry routes versus driving and other transit modes, as well. Softer sell "enjoy the ride - skip the traffic" pitches have value, but can only gain traction if travel time comparisons work.
Additionally, the more daily commerce that can be situated in proximity to foot ferry transit nodes - grocery stores, dry cleaners, even day care centers and schools - the greater the appeal. Of course, light rail and bus rapid transit centers can also enjoy such advantages; underscoring competition between modes and ultimately, the need for unified regional transportation governance which emphasizes balance between roads and transit, and putting the right transit modes in the right places.
Here's one more thing that would help. State legislatures, city governments and regional transportation authorities could help to better facilitate cost-effective foot ferry commuter networks - and corollary high-density residential development - by working together to ensure that transportation infrastructure projects and operations can be bid under the most competitive procedures, including due consideration to proposals from non-union labor, and public-private partnerships.
TECHNORATI TAGS: PORTLAND, OREGON, PETER WILCOX, PASSENGER-ONLY FERRIES, FOOT FERRIES, WILLAMETTE RIVER, SEATTLE, URBAN DENSITY, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, ORGANIZED LABOR
This Monday July 2, our Cascadia Center For Regional Development hosted a jam-packed forum in West Seattle for stakeholders to discuss next steps toward funding an expanded system of passenger-only ferries on Puget Sound and Lake Washington. This would embody a modern-day return of the region's old "Mosquito Fleet" of foot ferries; providing today's commuters and others with expanded transit options in a region facing increasingly congested roads and steets, and major population growth in coming decades.
Cascadia Center's Director Bruce Agnew moderated the panel discussion featuring presentations by members of the Puget Sound Passenger Ferry Coalition. Among those speaking were King County Council members Dow Constantine and Julia Patterson.
KIRO 7 TV and KING-5 TV were among media reporting. (Click on the above link or the "embed" below for the KIRO 7 report).
Agnew told KIRO 7's Graham Johnson:
We have plenty of water and you don't have to purchase new right-of-way, so it seems like...bringing back these boats as a form of mass transit in Puget Sound, its time has really come.
Expanded foot ferries become more logical when one understands the dimensions of estimated future costs for roads and transit in and around Seattle. The final report of the Regional Transportation Commission study group, authorized by the state legislature and Gov. Christine Gregoire, notes Central Puget Sound faces a $62 billion shortfall in needed funding for roads and transit over the next 24 years. (See third page from the top, here, in the study's cover letter to Gov. Gregoire from commission co-chairs Norm Rice and John Stanton).
King County, already gridlocked and with massive road construction projects on tap that will tie up traffic even more, formed a ferry district this year that will tap property taxes. It plans to boost West Seattle water taxi service to year-round, take over the state's Vashon-Seattle route, pay for a demonstration boat between Kirkland and the University of Washington, fund a feasibility study of other routes and provide money for better boats and docks. It will cost King County landowners 2 to 3 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. "Compared with other modes of transportation, that's a bargain because the infrastructure is not as expensive," said King County Councilman Dow Constantine, who spearheaded the ferry district effort. "Water is free."
For 100 years, passenger ferries moved people and goods around the region, King County Council member Julia Patterson said. Service bottomed out in recent years after Washington State Ferries lost its motor vehicle excise tax funding and opted out of the foot-ferry business. "Next year, Washington state will be out of the business and will be looking to the region and local governments to provide that service," she said. "We cannot meet that demand with a patchwork approach. We need a regional vision. We need to be thinking big and working together on this issue."
Highlighting Patterson's remarks, King-5 TV aired this report the next morning. (Click on preceding link or the "embed" below).
All foot ferry proponents recognize that, as one participant at Monday's forum stated, "the difference between vision and hallucination is implementation." Will Echols of Crosscut details this morning how economic obstacles to expanded passenger-only ferry service in the region have proved daunting, so far.
But several factors suggest a turning point may be approaching. First, as the region's traffic mess intensifies, is the sheer cost of continuing to fund necessary landside roads and transit. The $62 billion shortfall identified by the Regional Transportation Commission study group only covers improvements needed in the next 24 years; but regional population will continue to grow thereafter, necessitating still more travel capacity. Next is our region's expansive water geography, providing connections between a plethora of major population centers. Third is substantial near-term growth, as the Puget Sound Regional Council notes in its "Destination 2030" transportation plan: a 30 percent increase in the region's four-county population (from the 2006 total of 3.5 million) and a 50 percent increase in travel by 2030 means more comprehensive transit, including more ferries, will be necessary. The PSRC notes:
Today, the central Puget Sound region has a high level of traffic congestion. By 2030, the region will grow by an additional 1.1 million people, add over 850,000 new jobs, and need to accommodate close to 50 percent more travel, putting even more strain on our transportation system. To ease current congestion and prepare for future growth, the region must expand its transportation system and complete key missing links. With smarter, more strategic transportation investments, traffic movement can be improved by the year 2030, even with additional people and increased use of our roads, buses, trains and ferries. With an expanded set of transportation choices offered by a more fully developed system, the region can prepare for continued economic growth, while protecting and enhancing its celebrated quality of life.
Finally, having recently formed a passenger-only ferry district with taxing authority, King County is postioned to fund a first-stage passenger-only ferry system expansion. Regional funding for more passenger-only ferries need not necessarily be secured through ballot measures posed to voters, nor from the state. While it is premature to make such a recommendation, it is worth considering that Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties could - as King County is positioned to do - approve by council vote a modest property tax increase to fund more passenger-only ferries. The legislature would merely have to alter the enabling legislation for the King County ferry district to allow the other three counties the same powers, and additionally grant all four the option of joint governance, along with key local governments, of a regional foot ferry system.
An ensuing challenge would be seamless integration of foot ferry, bus and commuter train traffic across the region - a priority which may well beg the question of a regional transportation commission empowered to plan, prioritize and fund road and transit projects, employing "best practices" such as public-private partnerships, system-wide and variegated vehicle tolling on major highways, and cost-effective "design-build" project bidding.
It is early, though. Very early. The first step in the possible "return of the Mosquito Fleet" is to see what happens in King County. As noted in stories by the Tacoma News Tribune and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the county council could approve a modest tax increase for more foot ferries as soon as November.
There is of course no "silver bullet" to the region's pressing need for improved transportation; but rather a series of necessary road and transit improvements to ease congestion and broaden choices, of which passenger-only ferries are one.
TECHNORATI TAGS: PASSENGER-ONLY FERRIES, PUGET SOUND, CASCADIA CENTER, KING COUNTY, SEATTLE, KITSAP COUNTY, PIERCE COUNTY, SNOHOMISH COUNTY, REGIONAL GOVERNANCE, FUNDING
"Public-Private Partnerships For Toll Highways," Robert W. Poole, Reason Foundation, Testimony To U.S. House Committee On Transportation & Infrastructure, Subcommittee On Highways & Transit, 2/13/07.
"A New Vision For Developing Transit For Livable Cities." Enrique Penalosa, former
mayor of Bogota, Columbia speaks at a Cascadia Center co-sponsored event on implementation of Bogota's TransMileno Bus Rapid Transit system. Seattle Channel video, 9/27/06.
Chapter 7, "I-405 Plan: Transit and HOV", in "I-405 Congestion Relief & Bus Rapid Transit Projects - Final Recommendations Report," WSDOT. (See "I-405 BRT Service").
Speaker Presentations At Cascadia/Microsoft/Idaho National Laboratory "Beyond Oil: Transforming Transportation" conference, 9/4/08 and 9/5/08, Redmond, Wash. (Topics included electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, renewable energy, traffic management systems and technology, transit. Many of these files are very large and may take several minutes to open/download depending on your internet connection).
Speaker Presentations at Cascadia-Microsoft "Jump Start To A Secure Clean Energy Future" Conference on Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Alternative Fuels, 5/7/07
"Future Visions," Washington Transportation Plan Update Process, WSDOT/Washington Transportation Commission, 6/17/05. (See pp. 27-34, "Intelligent Transportation Systems").
By January, the state aims to have a temporary replacement car ferry (from Pierce County) in place, and a new one running in 14 months. But in the near term, a passenger-only ferry the state had been about to sell on E-Bay, the MV Snohomish, 
The Port has been bolstered by an imminent $3.5 million federal start-up grant for the route. It's part of a larger, $139 million 