Gregoire signs new ferries legislation

OLYMPIA – Help is on the way for the Washington state ferry system.

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday signed legislation authorizing construction of three small car-ferries that will serve the Port Townsend-Keystone run, linking the Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island, and carry interisland traffic in the San Juan Islands.

The vessels, carrying as many as 100 cars, will replace the four Steel Electric class ferries that were pulled from service in November after hull corrosion raised safety concerns.

The new ferries are to be built in Washington and cost about $100 million. The design and size are not specified in Senate Bill 6794.

The state is leasing a small ferry, the Steilacoom II, from Pierce County’s Anderson Island run as a stopgap on the Port Townsend route and is expected to build a similar ferry while exploring other options for the other two boats. The Steilacoom II carries about 50 vehicles and 325 passengers.

The first of the new ferries is scheduled for delivery in 14 months. The three boats will join the three larger 144-car boats that are being designed. The design and construction of six boats nearly simultaneously is unprecedented for the state’s ferry system, the governor said.

“Today we take a significant step forward in securing the safety of the ferry system for future generations,” Gregoire said at bill-signing ceremonies.

“I appreciate the Legislature moving quickly on this bill so we can get the ferry building process under way and get these new boats in the water as fast as possible.”

Gregoire noted that the Legislature’s fast-track handling of the procurement bill comes on the heels of the hiring of a new director for the ferry system, David Moseley. One of his charges is to develop a schedule for maintenance and regular replacement of the vessels.

Senate Transportation Chairwoman Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, who represents a ferry-dependent district, called the procurement bill “an important first step toward fixing our neglected ferry system. I’m looking forward to getting appropriate vessels on the Keystone-Port Townsend run, as well as holding Washington State Ferries accountable for its operations and maintenance plans.”

Washington’s ferry system, the nation’s largest, carries 24 million passengers and 11 million vehicles a year on 10 cross-Puget Sound runs.