— from Cathy Ellis —

“How many ferry commuters are interested in an earlier scheduled departure from Orcas to Anacortes?” If a solution can be found to adjust schedules for an earlier departure from Orcas to Anacortes, would you use it?

Please respond on-line, below, as a “comment.”

As it currently stands, our first mainland departure fluctuates seasonally between 6:45 a.m. and 7:35 a.m.

I have noticed for several years that we on Orcas never have a true “red-eye” departure. This is a major hassle for myself, as well as many others.

There are multiple reasons for an early start off island, too many to name. But, if you need to reach Seattle for appointments before 11 am, forget it. If you want to park free at the Skagit transit station in Mt. Vernon, and take a relaxing morning Amtrak southbound (which can minimize vehicles on busy roads), forget it.

BUT, if a solution could be found to this situation, which is not a certainty, would YOU actually use an earlier departure?

To facilitate this possibility, please answer one question below.

To start a serious conversation for a hopeful change in the schedule, I/we need to have an idea of how many on Orcas are concerned about this one specific issue. There are plenty of important issues for concerned Orcas residents regarding mainland ferry commutes. My quest here is simply to answer this one question.

During conversations with two Orcas members of the SJI’s Ferry Advisory Committee, I learned about some of the many complexities hindering a remedy for this situation. To name only a few ongoing issues that have consistently restricted this conversation :

  • Adding an extra stop effects fuel use, increases fuel costs, and puts the morning ferry shift on overtime.
  • Crew hours are a major issue.
  • There are 29 unions involved in running our Washington State Ferry system.
  • Our State Legislature mandates zero OT for WA state ferry employee guidelines.

Since Lopez is closer to the mainland and is on the “direct route,” it is easy for that 5:45 a.m. red eye departure from FH to stop at Lopez on its way to Anacortes. Lopez vehicles never fill up the empty space on that early departure, HOWEVER, adding Orcas as a stop between FH and Lopez would increase fuel costs as well as put state ferry employees in OT. This is why the red eye ferry from FH never stops at Orcas on way to Lopez. But, maybe another solution can be found.

IF there could be an earlier boat to Anacortes, from Orcas, would YOU use it? And, how often would you use it…. always, sometimes, once in a while?

Thank you for you responses.

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