County Council & Friday Harbor Demand Ferry Funding

By Stan Matthews
County Website and Communications Manager

Town County Lawmakers Tell Olympia “Quit Kicking the Can”

[Last] week, San Juan County Council and the Friday Harbor Town Council sent a joint message to Washington’s Governor and Legislature saying the time has come to find a stable funding source for the Washington State Ferry System. The letter declared, “This can cannot be kicked down the road anymore!”

The Joint letter was adopted unanimously by both councils and addressed to the chairs of the House and Senate Transportation Committees with copies to the Governor and other key legislators.

The text of the letter follows.

Dear Senator Haugen and Representative Clibborn:

This is the fifth year in row that the San Juan Islands route is threatened with serious cuts to ferry service. Washington State Ferries issues have been our top legislative priority. We lobby our legislators, the transportation committees and the Governor. We support the efforts of our Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC), Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC). We and members of our FAC testify at House and Senate hearings. Nonetheless, the lack of sustainable ferry funding continues to threaten our marine highway, our only vehicular connection to the rest of Washington State.

If additional transportation funding is not approved by the legislature, it is proposed that the “Sidney” ferry will be eliminated in 2013. San Juan County and Friday Harbor, in addition to Anacortes, Skagit County and the State, will lose tourism funds through the loss of the international sailing. Tourism is the number 3 economic driver in the State and the San Juan routes are the biggest draw. The loss of the Sidney ferry will also cut 25% of our domestic mainland ferry service for 6 months of the year. During its 18-hour day, 11 hours are spent providing local service. If the Sidney ferry is cut, the boat would no longer come here which would seriously impact Canadian tourism as well as the San Juan Islands tourism.

It may be difficult for those who have access to paved highways to understand our concerns. Imagine the road between you and your doctor being closed for significant blocks of time. We already experience this inconvenience for appointments, wanting to see your child’s sporting event, shopping or to visit a loved one in the hospital. Please don’t make it worse.

Since the loss of MVET 12 years ago, ferries have depended on transfers from other funds to sustain the system. Current mega-projects are expected to consume all available funds and we are told that transfers after the current biennium will not be possible. Roads and highways are in the same situation, additional funds are needed to maintain and preserve existing and new transportation infrastructure.

This can cannot be kicked down the road anymore! A sustainable transportation funding package is needed this session. The maintenance and preservation shortfall, which cannot be bonded for, needs to be addressed now

Sincerely,

(Signed by all members of the Friday Harbor Council and the San Juan County Council)