Local Ferries Proposal Is a Better Plan

By Pam Dzama – Kitsap Sun

September 30, 2006

Which issue on Kitsap County’s recent survey appeared under the category: Largest gap between importance and satisfaction?

The answer is “managing traffic congestion.” More on this later.

Living on a peninsula creates challenges, not least of which is crossing Puget Sound. Many residents here are dependent on the Washington State Ferries system. Like it or not, a sizeable number of people work outside the county, most seeking their livelihood on the east side of the Sound. Normally that employment requires regular work hours, along the proverbial lines of 9-to-5.

So I was stunned to read about an idea floated by a consultant to the Ferry Finance Study Advisory Committee that would charge a “rush-hour surcharge” to those who need to cross the Sound for their employment. Maybe employers should change their hours of operation to better accommodate the ferry system. At least that’s the message one could draw from this upside-down suggestion.

The consultant went on to describe how most “transit agencies charge more during peak times.” Perhaps she was unaware the ferries are an extension of the highway system, not a bunch of water-borne buses. Would she recommend those driving on roads pay a toll during certain hours? Isn’t the infrastructure created for the benefit of the people?

Or do I have that backwards? Are we really paying taxes to support large bureaucracies that see their main purpose as continuing their existence while occasionally meeting the needs of those who fund their operations?

“Our current tariff program gives the lowest fares to those traveling at peak times,” said one member of the state’s Transportation Commission. I’m shocked. Those who need to use the ferry system on a regular basis avail themselves of the discounted frequent-user options.

Rep. Bev Woods, R-Kingston, compared the consultant’s idea to that of creating a highway lane normally designated for vehicles containing multiple passengers, but that single drivers could access for an additional fee. This “HOT lane” concept will be tested on Highway 167 between Auburn and Renton for four years beginning in 2008.

The difference between charging solo drivers an additional fee at peak times for the convenience of a faster commute and applying the same concept to the ferry system is ludicrous. The single driver has a choice. Ferry riders do not. I’m not aware of many other ways to cross the Sound.

Fares on the Bainbridge Island-Seattle and Kingston-Edmonds ferry routes substantially exceed their operating costs. Requiring riders to pay a “penalty” for their off-peninsula employment is adding insult to injury. If the ferry system had more credibility in restraining its costs, I might consider this option. But their consistent failure to pass a state audit, especially in controlling the collection of fares, leaves me less than confident in their ability to do anything but ask for more money.

Of course the Legislature bears some of the blame for this sorry state of affairs through its refusal to fully fund our floating highways, while requiring absurd levels of operating cost coverage. When the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge is completed, residents of Kitsap County will be nearly the only citizens in the state who have to pay to leave their county. All tolls paid by Kitsap residents are in addition to the gas taxes collected to fund road projects.

How do we help manage traffic congestion, the item identified on the county’s survey as most unsatisfactory? A local, public-private partnership, delivering goods and services to the people, is a conservative solution to a real problem. Creating a viable passenger-only ferry service would offer a benefit to many residents in the county. Not only would this reduce traffic congestion, especially along Highway 305, but it would also address a need for more consistent travel options for many county residents.

We can’t keep waiting for legislators outside Kitsap County to understand and fund our needs. Kitsap Transit will be asking voters next year to approve an increase of three tenths of one cent in the sales tax to help fund this service. The cost would amount to 30 cents for every $100 spent on taxable items. This is a small price to pay to create a reliable link to Seattle, especially from Kingston.

For the ferry service to succeed, it needs to be well-grounded and realistic. Kitsap Transit’s proposal to work with a knowledgeable private partner meets that standard.

The newly created “Kingston Express Association” doesn’t. This group of commuters professes to support passenger-only ferry service from Kingston to Seattle, but it has no funding, no boat and would rely on a volunteer crew. I’d suggest they not muddy the water and leave this service to qualified professionals.

Experienced private enterprises working in conjunction with Kitsap Transit will forge a partnership that’s viable. This affordable proposal will enhance our transit options and help solve our congestion problems in Kitsap County.

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