Rebecca
Pirtle
As
Jay Knode plugged in the electric pump on the new
water feature and water began babbling down 15 tons of granite boulders, a calm
settled in at the Port of Kingston and there was a pause to listen and
contemplate not just the meditative qualities of a cascade, but also the sense
of accomplishment as another great idea was realized.
There
was serendipity to that moment on Oct. 30 when port manager Mike Bookey came down from the office with a copy of the Port of
Kingston Business Plan for Kingston to Downtown Seattle Regional Passenger-Only
Ferry Service tucked under his arm and headed off to the post office to send it
overnight to Olympia and the in-box of Governor Chris Gregoire.
The
master plan for the port is in motion quick as a clipper speeding on air and
energy across
Design
lines for a performance gazebo are getting inked in and it’s on a fast track.
When complete, it will serve as center stage for North End festivities
including the Fourth of July concerts, Kingston Farmers’ Market live music and
perhaps even live outdoor theater and mid-week community barbecues.
The
port is also looking to create research partnerships with
As
these relatively short-term projects follow the lead of the gurgling water
feature and begin to make headway, the port staff and commissioners at the helm
are turning the bow of progress head on into the wave to bring passenger-only
ferry service to
Passenger
ferry plan bare boned but sinewy
Newly
re-elected
The
26-page business plan for passenger-only ferry service to Seattle was created
not only to qualify for state funding but also at the request of Rep. Christine
Rolfes and Kitsap County Commissioner Steve Bauer,
who wanted something to help them in their efforts to secure additional
funding.
“It’s
hard for them to lobby for something that’s just an idea,” Bissonnette
said. “This gives them a little backing.
“We
can’t use taxpayer money from this district (to fund passenger-ferry service), it’s got to be paid for regionally.”
Riding
on the swell of the $3.5 million federal grant to fund the acquisition of two
100-passenger ferries and upgrades to the existing terminal, the Port of
Kingston and Kitsap Transit Public Benefit District are seeking an additional
$900,000 four-year matching grant from the state’s Passenger Ferry Account to
pay for operation of a bare-bones service until fare box revenues cover
expenses. The grant would be a slice of the net proceeds from the sale of WSF
Chinook-class vessels.
The
initial expectation is to provide one morning and one evening run for 80
round-trip passengers per day. The full adult fare would be $15 roundtrip with
discounts for ticket books, passes and seniors. The run to Washington State
Ferries’ passenger ferry dock at Pier 50 in
The
$3.5 million comes with strings attached and strict oversight, Bissonnette said, included as part of an agreement between
the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit
Administration.
“They
almost become your partner – they’re trying to be good stewards of public money
and expenditures have to be vetted through them,” Bissonnette
explained, but the $900,000 would go directly to the port to manage.
The
port has learned more than a thing or two from the failed efforts of the Aqua
Express passenger ferry service. Foremost is that the level of service
initially be geared towards commuters, not tourists.
“It’s
a different mindset. There’s a difference between the two types of operations,”
Bissonnette said. A commuter run would not have extra
crew for customer service or special amenities, as is the case with most public
transit. The service does open up opportunities for tourism, and the port will
look at partnering with the tribes and others to create connections across the
water.
Bissonnette’s experience as Director of Marine Operations and Senior Captain with
Victoria Clipper has provided the port with knowledge of unionized crew needs,
maritime elements and economic vessel selection necessary for a more realistic
and successful business venture.
Kingston
Express, the local group of former Aqua Express commuters who organized to
pursue passenger ferry service options, is still engaged in the process and
contributed valuable expertise crunching numbers and providing very detailed
financial cost and revenue analysis for the port’s business plan, Bissonnette said.
Though
Kitsap Transit’s proposal for a taxpayer-funded countywide passenger ferry
service was voted down last February, it’s still holding out on coming back
with a revised plan. Bissionnette said the port isn’t
opposed to forming partnerships with other public entities in the future to
provide service.
To
meet the port’s ridership expectations, they are
looking towards underutilized opportunities with Poulsbo residents and
Jefferson and Clallam counties to provide robust numbers of regular riders.
“We’re
really their gateway (to
The
hope is that a couple of vanloads of commuters will come across
He
admitted that the Fall 2009 start date for passenger ferry service is “pretty
ambitious” given the number of conditions that have to be met before the first boat
unties to head out to the Emerald City. These include resolving the joint
development agreement between Kitsap Transit and Aqua Express, and ownership of
the barge and walkway currently in place that Aqua Express used. The terminal
facilities on this side will need to be upgraded and the port will have to
negotiate use of the passenger ferry terminal at Pier 50 in downtown
“We’re
trying to do the greatest good for the most amount of
people,” Bissonnette said. “We want to do it right.
We have one last shot. This is it.”
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