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WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |
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WSF: Bridge is long term solution to speed up turnaround timeposted 10/11/2006
According to Washington State Ferries, the goal of the Intermodal plan is to identify short, intermediate, and long-term improvements to reduce dwell time (the time the ferry stays in the ferry terminal) sufficiently to allow additional service to Friday Harbor as described in the Washington State Ferries Long-Range Strategic Plan. WSF has worked with representatives from the Town of Friday Harbor, San Juan County, and the Port of Friday Harbor. Short-term solutions were presented at a previous open house. They included pedestrian barriers at Front and East Street during ferry unloading, instructing the traffic control personnel to give more priority to ferry traffic, adding sidewalk "bulbs" which would make the crosswalks shorter. A public hearing will be held on November 1 to present the intermediate and long-term plans to the community and to gather input. The time and place are still to be determined.
Intermediate plan includes consolidating B and C parking lots. Trees would line the parking lanes as part of the stormwater system. The current holding lot would be turned into the "Kiss and Ride" lot. There are three options for traffic flow under this plan. The costs range from $650,000 to $750,000.
The long-term plan (for 2017) would separate the ferry-loading traffic from the local traffic. Instead of using the streets, vehicles would drive down loading lanes directly onto the ferry. A bridge would need to be constructed over Harrison Street for this plan to work. The cost is estimated at $10 to 15 million.
Intermodal process proceedingposted 04/18/2006
When the meeting was opened up to public comment, Friday Harbor resident Roger Bennett unrolled a map and showed how rerouting traffic could help. Susan Robins said she wants an overhead walkway. "Isn't the overhead walkway what makes the difference in Anacortes?" she said. "Isn't that what we really need here? It would be heaven to have that." Committee member Greg Hertel said an overhead walkway would be a real political issue noting many people would be opposed to the idea. Robins said, "I don’t think you should make that assumption. I don’t think you know that." County Engineer John Van Lund suggested the committee consider finding another way to bring the commercial traffic to the island. Asked who would run a service transporting commercial traffic, Van Lund said, "Let a private public partnership do it, take them somewhere else." He suggested Jacksons Beach as an alternative. The committee realizes the answer to shortening the dwell time is most likely a combination of several changes. WSF's consultant is hiring a third party to conduct a traffic study during late July and early August. The study will identify where the choke points are. Once the data is in, the committee will analyze and prioritize the various options. Public meetings will be held to give people a chance to discuss potential solutions before any legislation is proposed. While the committee's study is being funded by a $250,000 grant from the state Dept of Transportation, at this time there is no funding for any improvements such as an overhead walkway. The Intermodal Committee includes members of the various government agencies which are involved in the area around the ferry terminal including Washington State Ferries, the Town of Friday Harbor, San Juan County, and the Port of Friday Harbor.
Roger Bennett shared this plan which was looked at 15 years ago. It has two way traffic on Front and East Streets. Parallel parking instead of angled parking on the first block of Spring Street by the Ale House. A few lanes of the ferry holding parking lot would have to be removed. A passenger walkway would need to be added (yellow arrow) over the water to direct disembarking passengers towards Memorial Park. The plan is drawn for double-lane off-loading. Bob Distler noted several reasons why the double-lane off-loading wouldn't work. For example, if a vehicle wanted to go to the left up East Street but was coming off the boat in the right lane. Howie Rosenfeld suggested the plan could be useful if cars were not off-loaded in a double lane. Drivers could decide which direction to go. The elements of the plan will be considered by the Intermodal Committee. Solutions sought for safer, speedier ferry terminal operationBy Sharon Kivisto posted 1/17/2006
Russ East of WSF said the committee would produce both short-term solutions and long-range goals. He reminded the committee WSF has "$800 million in capital programs in next 10 years." About half of the funding sources are "threatened by situations that may or may not occur. We have a very challenging future coming forward." County Councilmember Kevin Ranker emphasized the need to finish the report before October in order to have a chance to receive funding in the state's next biennium budget. Besides increasing safety, the main reason to speed up the turnaround time in Friday Harbor is improvement of service. If WSF can cut 20 minutes off of the dwell time for each of the six trips into Friday Harbor, an additional run could be added, according to Distler. The additional run could serve Friday Harbor or if less time was saved, the run could go to Lopez Island. Even if the additional run ended up going to Lopez Island, Friday Harbor would still benefit, according to Distler. For example, a sailing leaving Friday Harbor now may have 60 of the 100 spaces reserved for Lopezians. The entire 160 spaces could be used by Friday Harbor drivers instead. The committee's major goals include:
The committee discussed conditions which affect the terminal operation. One item, WSF staff didn't know about, was the influx of traffic from Pear Point and Turn Point area through Warbass Way. County Public Works Director Jon Shannon offered to bring a copy of the study from five years ago which shows the traffic pattern. Consultant Ikuno Masterson summed up the committee's work as identifying the community's needs and developing a long-range plan - a road map for WSF. Potential improvements could "then be put in the hopper so they can be prioritized" with the rest of the system. The committee touched on the idea of a pedestrian bridge during the discussion of goals. In the 1998 plan "we tossed out overhead loading while acknowledging it would work," said Port Director Steve Simpson at the January 13, 2006 meeting in Friday Harbor. It might by more worthwhile to "approach it as design issue. Come up with something that isn't hideous." "Overhead loading solves the problem," State Transportation Commissioner Bob Distler said. "It's the biggest bang for your buck." Town Councilmember Howie Rosenfeld said, "The town has an Historic Preservation Review Board, they would be happy to work with (the committee." "If we did nothing but figure out how to separate people and cars, 75 percent of the problem would be solved," said Sheriff Bill Cumming. Port Commissioner Greg Hertel emphasized the need to gather public input early in the planning process. Distler said, "How do you balance the needs of everybody on the island with the desires of people in the town? You have 3,500 to 4,000 people (in the unincorporated part of San Juan Island) who are equally impacted. The challenge is to get input from the hinterlands. The committee is scheduled to meet on the second Friday of each month in Friday Harbor. Outreach meetings will also be scheduled. WSF Community Relations and Public Outreach Manager Hadley Greene has set up an email address for public input. It is WSFF-HMasterPlan@wsdot.wa.gov Dismantling of ferry slip begins Nov. 28posted 11/18/05
The terminal's tie-up slip was used as a temporary slip while WSF reconstructed the permanent slip. The permits obtained by WSF for the work require all in-water work to be done by March 21, 2006. East told the San Juan Ferry Advisory Committee at its Nov. 17, 2005 meeting on Orcas Island, he knows the community is disappointed the slip cannot be used for a longer period of time. The slip was designed and permitted for short-term use and was always meant to be temporary according to East. It is built with bare steel that will corrode rapidly in the marine environment, so it is not suitable for permanent or even longer-term use. To convert the temporary slip to a permanent slip would require a new permit application, further discussions with tribal governments, and additional environmental mitigation. There are currently no funds available for undertaking design, permitting and construction of a second operating slip in Friday Harbor. WSF estimates it would cost an additional $5 to 7 million to convert the temporary slip to a permanent slip. A second slip may still be in Friday Harbor's future. WSF is spearheading a study to determine how to shorten dwell time at the Friday Harbor terminal. It takes 40 minutes to load and unload a Super Class ferry in Friday Harbor compared to 20 minutes down Sound. The Port of Friday Harbor, the Town of Friday Harbor and WSF will work with a consultant to develop an integrated plan. "If we can come up with a comprehensive plan, we will look at how a second slip fits into the operation," East said. "We'll decide how can we best make the investment. Whether it is a second slip or overhead loading. We need to get consensus in the community," he said. "Once we get all the issues nailed down, we'll be able to go forward and plan for investments. Right now we are in no man's land." A few preliminary meetings have been held. The consultant will be on board and the pace of the study will be accelerated in January. $250K to study ferry traffic flow in Friday Harborposted 05/06/05
The town, county, Port of Friday Harbor and Washington State Ferries agreed on the Intermodal Plan as a way to improve traffic flow from the ferry into Friday Harbor. While the plan was adopted in 1998, the recommendations have not been implemented. Ranker said, "It is now our job to make sure it ($250,000) goes to focus on the plan to address traffic issues and flow in Friday Harbor." The long dwell time (time the ferry spends at Friday Harbor terminal loading and unloading) affects ferry service in the entire county, Ranker said. "It is important we get together very quickly and focus our talking points. In the near term we need to get together with the intermodal committee, so that when we sit down with WSF, we are guiding the ship." Councilmember Debbie Emery asked if the money was to be used solely for studies and not for implementation of the plan. Ranker said he understood it was to be used for studies. Since the town is responsible for any landside improvements, Emery wondered how the town would be able to pay for changes which could be recommended by the new studies. Ranker said, "I don’t think the town could be in better position to go for outside support, than by being in the lead." Once the recommendations are made, the town could ask the state for help in implementing them, Ranker said. Councilmember Howie Rosenfeld said, "This is tremendous news. It shows Washington State Ferries is willing to help us. We can't ask for assistance (in building infrastructure) until we know what the fix is. I congratulate everyone involved." Transportation Commissioner and Orcas Island resident Bob Distler and state Senator Mary Haugen should be thanked for their work on making sure the funding made it into the final budget, according to Ranker. |
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