WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES

PUBLIC COMMENT

Submit your comments to the Transportation Commission via letter, e-mail or telephone, no later than 5 p.m. Friday, September 4, 2009.

WSTC
PO Box 47308
Olympia, WA 98504-7308

Email: transc@wsdot.wa.gov

Telephone: 360-705-7070

TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION INFO

FARE PROPOSAL

SUMMARY DRAFT TABLES

Ferry fares increase Oct. 11:
no extra surcharge

posted 09/16/2009
Ferry fares will increase 2.5 percent beginning Oct. 11. Inter-island fares increase 7.5 percent - the additional 5 percent is part of the final phase in of route equity. The state Transportation Board voted in favor of the increase, the first in two years, at its formal public hearing last week in Seattle.

The commission rejected a proposal to impose an additional 10 percent summer surcharge for 10 weeks in the peak season. They voted on the fare proposal after listening to public comment and taking into consideration the input from public meetings on the Kitsap Peninsula, in the San Juan Islands and on Vashon Island; and from comments received by mail, e-mail and phone. San Juan County Councilmember Howie Rosenfeld and Ferry Advisory Committee member Lance Evans testified at the Seattle public hearing via conference call.

The Commission approved the following elements within the fare proposal:

• Applying a 2.5 percent across-the-board general fare increase.
  
  
• Converting the in-need organization discount pilot program into a permanent program.
  
  
• Allowing WSF to collect between 25 to 100 percent of the applicable fare as a non-refundable deposit for advance vehicle reservations on routes with a reservation system. This would be a pre-payment of a portion of or the entire fare and is not an additional fee.
  
  
• Eliminating the tollbooth surcharge for multi-ride fare purchases (which had not been implemented).
  
  
• Moving toward further implementation of tariff equity affecting San Juan inter-island fares by adding 5 percent on top of the 2.5 percent general increase.
  
  
• Allowing WSF flexibility to enter into agreements with fire districts for free passage when on emergency calls in lieu of payment for fire protection services at ferry terminals.

The Commission is designated the State Tolling Authority and as such, sets all state highway and bridge tolls as well as setting fares for Washington State Ferries.

Proposed cost for family of four in peak season with extra surcharge:
$77.44 Lopez Island, $85.45 Orcas Island, $94.45 for Friday Harbor

posted 08/31/2009
The proposed 2009 ferry rates include an additional 10 percent surcharge for the peak summer season. The surcharge does not affect the multi-ride tickets. The car and driver multi-ticket is valid for five rides. Passenger multi-tickets are good for 10 rides. Washington State Ferries requires these frequent user tickets to expire in 30 days on every route except in the San Juans where they are good for 90 days. The tickets can be shared.

The decision to create a significant difference in the pricing structure - hefty summer surcharge and no change in year-round multi-ride ticket rate - was made with the understanding the overall revenue generated would meet the goal. If islanders want to lower the cost of the summer peak season rates, the cost of the multi-ride tickets would have to increase.

Ferry fare meeting Monday aboard InterIsland ferry

posted 08/27/2009
A public input meeting regarding proposed increases to the ferry fares will be held aboard the inter-island ferry on August 31. The Sealth departs Friday Harbor at 11:35 a.m., Orcas at 12:30 p.m., Shaw at 12:45 p.m., Lopez at 1:05 p.m., and returns to Friday Harbor at 1:55 p.m.

The 2.5 percent across-the-board increase would mean the end-of-week car and driver fare from Anacortes to Friday Harbor in the summer would be $56.55; to Orcas $47.45; to Lopez $39.55.

Interisland fares will increase an extra 5 percent to reach route equity. The price for the shoulder season increases from $16.65 to $17.95; summer season $20.85 to $22.45. There are no day of week differences for the inter island run.

An additional 10 percent surcharge is being applied to the summer peak season to the car and driver fares. It is not being applied to passenger fares on the San Juans/Anacortes route although it is being applied to passenger fares on all other routes.

The summer surcharge does not apply to the multi-ride cards. In other words islanders can avoid the increased summer fares by using the five-ride cards. They can be shared. (story continues below chart)

The proposal includes these elements:

• Applying a 2.5 percent across-the-board general fare increase.
  
  
• Moving toward further implementation of tariff equity affecting San Juan inter-island fares by adding 5 percent on top of the 2.5 percent general increase.
  
  
• Applying a 10 percent "peak summer surcharge" to only single-fare purchases (not applicable to multi-ride/frequent-user fares). The peak summer surcharge would be in effect between the end of June and the day after Labor Day.
  
  
• Making the in-need organization discount permanent (now a pilot program).
  
  
• Allowing WSF to collect between 25 to 100 percent of the applicable fare as a non-refundable deposit for advance vehicle reservations on routes with a reservation system. This would be a pre-payment of a portion of or the entire fare and is not an additional fee.
  
  
• Eliminating the tollbooth surcharge for multi-ride fare purchases (which had not been implemented).
  
  
• Allowing WSF flexibility to enter into agreements with fire districts for free passage when on emergency calls in lieu of payment for fire protection services at ferry terminals.
  
  

SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2010

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