Washington lawmakers vote to shore up ferry service on final day of session
The bipartisan authors of the Washington state transportation budget might be forgiven for feeling like sailors bailing a leaky boat. They patched together some fixes for the beleaguered state ferry system and sent a revised budget to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk on Thursday. But the boatload of spending could spring a big new leak depending on the voters’ mood in November.
Lawmakers agreed to bolster hiring and training programs for the short-staffed Washington State Ferries. They also fleshed out the financing plan to fully fund five new hybrid electric 144-car ferries. The sorely needed ferry procurement relies in part on future sales of emission allowances to the state’s largest polluters. But the law that requires industries to buy those allowances is now subject to a voter referendum.
“We need immediate relief,” said state Rep. Greg Nance, D-Bainbridge Island, who elaborated on his website that he was heartened by the additional funding lawmakers directed to ferries. “Our ferry system is on pace for over 3,000 canceled sailings this year.”
The ferry-dependent San Juan Islands came up short in getting immediate state help to scale up a locally operated water taxi or passenger-only interisland ferry. But the 2024 state transportation budget included some consolation prizes including a novel reimbursement fund for passengers stranded overnight, ongoing support for a crew shuttle and an additional stop in the summer schedule at Orcas Island.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/03/07/washington-lawmakers-vote-to-shore-up-ferry-service-on-final-day-of-session/
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