Passenger-Only Ferry Between Kingston and Seattle Set to Close

Derek Wang - 9/1/2005

NPR 94.9 - KUOW - Summary

listen to audio version: http://www.kuow.org/defaultProgram.asp?ID=9403

Passenger-only ferry service between Kingston and downtown Seattle will be shutting down. The company that runs the service says it's been losing too much money. KUOW's Derek Wang has details.

AQUA EXPRESS HAS BEEN RUNNING THE KINGSTON TO SEATTLE PASSENGER-ONLY FERRY SERVICE FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS. BUT THE COMPANY SAYS THE OPERATION HAS BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SEVERAL REASONS.

FUEL PRICES HAVE INCREASED BY 70 PERCENT. RIDERSHIP IS 25 PERCENT LOWER THAN PREDICTED. AND THE COMPANY SAYS THE STATE HAS MADE IT HARDER TO DO BUSINESS. THAT'S BECAUSE IT REJECTED THE COMPANY'S REQUEST TO ADD A ROUTE BETWEEN SOUTHWORTH AND SEATTLE. DARRELL BRYAN IS A PARTNER WITH AQUA EXPRESS.

BRYAN: "Another factor is when we went into this enterprise, we didn't do on the basis of one run going to Kingston. Years ago there was legislation inviting the private sector in to look at passenger-only ferry service. And it had been our intention to service a number of communities; because of the overhead associated with the service, it really doesn't pay for one run."

BRYAN SAYS THE COMPANY'S REQUEST WAS DENIED, BECAUSE THE STATE IS CONSIDERING WHETHER IT SHOULD OPERATE A PASSENGER-ONLY FERRY ON THE SOUTHWORTH TO SEATTLE ROUTE. HE'S CAREFUL NOT TO BLAME THE LEGISLATURE, BUT HE SAYS LAWMAKERS HAVE CREATED A DIFFICULT SITUATION IN WHICH TO DO BUSINESS.

BRYAN: "That was changing, as far as we were concerned, the rules of the game. All we asked for, we didn't speak out against it, or whatever, we wanted a yes or no. Either, the private sector is in or they're out. Just tell us because we went in on the basis of that previous legislation and made quite a substantial investment."

AQUA EXPRESS WILL SUSPEND ITS OPERATIONS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. BRYAN SAYS IT COULD CONSIDER RESUMING BUSINESS, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS: IF THE PRICE OF FUEL DROPS, IF MORE RIDERS SEEM INTERESTED, AND IF THE STATE DECIDES NOT TO ENTER THE PASSENGER-ONLY FERRY BUSINESS. I'M DEREK WANG, KUOW NEWS.

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