Ferries director meets with local committee

2012-1128-ferry-committee

State Ferries Director David Moseley says a proposed reduction in ferry service from Anacortes to Sydney, BC, would carry 92 percent of the passengers that now use that route. He told the Anacortes Ferry Committee Tuesday that the reduction from 40 weeks of service to 32 weeks bring profitability to 70 percent from the low 60's.

Anacortes Ferry Committee chair Duane Clark said, "I'm opposed to anything that changes what we have now," indicating his opposition to any cuts in service. Mayor Dean Maxwell pointed to a couple of local levies, saying, "Some of the local levies have had 80 percent support. Maybe people are willing to pay more for infrastructure now."

Moseley also said plans are moving ahead for a new, improved ferry terminal here with funding for an environmental review and what he called an initial concept design. He said once that is completed, the state could apply for federal funding to complete the terminal. The Anacortes ferry terminal is over 50 years old and Moseley said, "It needs to be improved." It would be a bit larger at 18,000 sq. ft.

The new terminal would be a situated farther from the water than the existing building. A new overhead loading system would be build, including fixed walkways, transfer span and new foundations. The new facility would comply with the American Disabilities Act. Site improvements would include a reconfigured paved parking lot and access and exit lanes, upgrade to the site circulation to include transit turnaround, a dedicated pickup/drop-off area and reconnections to existing site utilities.

The meeting included a discussion of potential fare increases and a reconfiguration of vehicle size categories. Moseley said, "The Governor said continuing to move money from other accounts to the transportation account for ferries is not sustainable." He pointed out that when car tab funding was cut by a referendum in 1999, the ferry system lost 20 percent of its operational funding and 75 percent of its construction funding. A new terminal is at least 2 years off.