WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES

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Email:tariff
@wsdot.wa.gov

Fax: 206.515.3773

Phone: 888.808.7977

Postal mail: Tariff Proposal

Washington State Ferries

2911 Second Avenue

Seattle, WA 98121-1012

The Transportation Commission can be contacted at www.wsdot. wa.gov/ commission/ feedback.htm

New proposal: Discounts reinstated,
ferry fare hiked higher

Story by Sharon Kivisto

posted 03/17/05
Washington State Ferry Tariff Advisory Committee changed its ferry tariff proposal yesterday, March 16, 2005. In response to public outcry, discount percentages and expiration periods stay the same as they are now. Passenger multi-ride cards can be used by more than one person on a sailing. That's the good news.

To offset the revenue lost by keeping the current discounts, The committee is recommending a 6 percent increase rather than the 5 percent originally proposed. "There is no such thing as a free lunch," said committee member David Freiboth. "If you want the discount back fine, but it will cost you a percentage."

The tariff committee meeting began with a report by Customer Information Manager Susan Harris-Huether summarizing the input received from citizens. "1270 folks came to meetings, 3,754 comments were received, and there were 3,907 signatures on a petition from San Juan County," she said. "It was obviously not a popular proposal."

Riders from all of the ferry routes complained about the shorter expiration period proposed for commuter books, she said. Many riders use a variety of transportation modes to commute - bike, walk-on, drive. They would not be able to use up ticket books for all the modes within the expiration period.

Riders on the Bainbridge and Kingston routes complained they were paying fares which exceeded the operating costs. Harris said the Mukilteo/Clinton route customers have expressed the same complaint for the past few years. WSF Planning Director Ray Deardorff said Bainbridge fares equal 120 percent fare-box recovery.

Lack of severability was a concern of many ferry riders especially those in the San Juans. Tickets purchased in commuter books have been separated and shared with friends. The switch to electronic cards would put an end to this practice. Someone brought up a comment heard at the Lopez public meeting. A Lopez Island man said he would need to spend hundreds of dollars upfront to purchase separate books for each of his children and his wife.

The Tariff Policy Committee voted to recommend passenger books could be used for multiple riders on a sailing. In other words, a family or group pulls up to the terminal. One frequent-user card could be swiped through the machine several times - once for each rider.

The car and driver electronic cards will not be allowed to use in the same way. They can be swiped through the machine only once per sailing. The option of photocopying the bar code to share a car and driver card would be limited.

One of the concerns expressed in the San Juans was the need for discount ticket availability for needy people. Organizations such as the Family Resource Centers have purchased ticket books and split the tickets up for use by their clients. County Commissioner Rhea Miller's suggestion to provide a means to continue to do so was approved by the committee.

The process would be similar to commercial accounts. An agency would be able to print out single tickets. The full price would be deducted from the agency's account. At the end of the month, WSF would calculate what the cost would have been if the tickets had been purchased as frequent-user ticket books. The difference would be credited to the agency's account.

The tricky part of such a plan is to determine which groups qualify, Bob Distler said. (Distler is a member of the state Transportation Commission, a non-voting member of the tariff committee and the former chair of the San Juan Ferry Advisory Committee. The recommendation is to have an organization such as the United Way figure out which groups qualify.

The revised proposal will be presented to the Transportation Commission at a public hearing at 10 a.m. March 23, 2005 in Seattle. Since the recommendation is higher than the one originally presented, more public hearings would have to be held if the revised proposal is approved. The fare increase could go into effect May 29, 2005. If the Transportation Commission approves fares similar to the ones already presented to the public, the increases would go into effect May 1, 2005.

WSF hears from islanders

Story and photos by Sharon Kivisto

Seventy-six islanders chanted slogans and paraded down Nash Street to the public meeting at the Mullis Center Tuesday, March 2, 2005.

posted 03/03/05
"Do the Math,", written on a protest sign, summed up the March 3, 2005 public meeting on ferry fare changes in Friday Harbor. Lower numbers of families, tourists, students and higher prices of goods would be the consequences if the proposed changes to the ferry fare structure are imposed, according to protesters. The need to offset the loss of motor vehicle excise tax (MVET), which had covered 50 percent of Washington State Ferries operating costs, is driving the changes, according to ferry officials.

WSF CEO Mike Anderson, WSF Planning Director Ray Deardorf, WSF CFO Sam Kuntz, Transportation Commission member Bob Distler, Ferry Advisory Committee members Pat McKay and Ed Sutton listened to comments from citizens on Lopez Island Wednesday morning, on San Juan Island in the afternoon and on Orcas Island in the evening. Kuntz, Distler and Sutton are members of the state Tariff Policy Committee. The previous day, 116 people attended a meeting on Shaw Island, there were 236 in attendance on Lopez and more than 400 in Friday Harbor.

Many islanders are upset by the proposed changes which replace ticket books with electronic cards, reduce the discount for ticket "books," and shorten expiration dates. The use of electronic cards rather than paper ticket books which can be shared eliminates the "de facto resident discount." San Juan County Commissioner Kevin Ranker handed Anderson petitions containing 3,863 signatures.

Residents used the meeting in Friday Harbor to tell Anderson and others about the negative impact higher ferry fares and lack of severability would have on islanders. Susan Risser of the Friday Harbor Firefighters Association said last year the association purchased 31 ticket books. Each book contains five tickets. The association operates the Thrift House in Friday Harbor. Tickets were given to people if they would haul bags of items to the Salvation Army on the mainland. "You've heard a lot about the working poor, (which is) most of us in this room," she said. "The severability issue is extraordinarily important to us."imp. to us

Risser also wanted to know "why you (WSF) care" how soon the tickets are used. Anderson explained longer or no expiration dates effectively puts WSF on sale. When ticket books were started in 1973, they had 10 tickets which expired in two weeks. Only 18 percent of riders qualified to use them. The more the ferry system is on sale, the more revenue has to made up somehow, he said.

Grant Moyer, who has used the ferries for 50 years, objected to the discrepancy between the Bremerton fare vs the Friday Harbor fare. "It costs 37 percent more from Friday Harbor to Anacortes. In my opinion this is rampant discrimination...This fare system is ridiculous. Whoever came up with it should be canned or displaced."

Deardorf explained the reasoning behind the lower Bremerton fare. The fares for Kingston, Bremerton and Bainbridge routes serve roughly the same area. A higher cost for the Bremerton route would likely end up drving more people to use the two other routes. To avoid congestion the cost is based on the Bainbridge run. Bremerton pays less, Kingston pays more. His explanation was greeted with boos.

WSF has a policy of route equity - basing the cost on the length of the trip. Bill Wright was skeptical of Deardorf's explanation about Bremerton. "Compare the break to the cost from Shaw to Orcas," he said. "It costs $14 to go from Shaw to Orcas. Where is the equity in tariff route equity?"

Others were skeptical of the effect the reduction of MVET had on the ferry system. Distler, Anderson, Deardorf and McKay all stressed the impact of the loss of the revenue which had covered 50 percent of the operating costs. Many audience members shook their heads and said no when they heard the explanation.

A few understood the predicament. Jan Osborn said, "Voters who voted for all the tax initiatives have to bite the bullet." Voters approved I-695. While the initiative was found unconstitutional in court, the legislators voted to reduce the MVET and did not come up with a way to replace the lost revenue.

While Osborn understood WSF's problem, she told them "We can't pay fares. We have to have some state money come in." Keeping the ability to share commuter tickets was essential, she said. "Give us something we can live with," she said. "Those of us who work are all poor."

Bill LaPorte was understanding of the financial situation. He said, "My feeling is you (ferry officials) are here for the same reason we are. We're victims of the Washington State Legislature. Unfortunately they are hiding behind your skirts."

Anderson said, "We clearly would be much happier if we did not have to collect higher fares. We need to find a long term funding source, so it is not on the back of riders." He encouraged people to contact state legislators. In the meantime, WSF has to be able to cover its operating costs, he said. "It is important we keep working through this. Your comments are important. Your comments create changes in the proposal. The ferry system does not set its own fares.

Deardorf explained the process. The Tariff Policy Committee will meet on March 16, 2005. At that time they could revise the proposal. "The important date is the 23rd of March when the Transportation Commission meets to decide." The new rates will be effective in May. Deardorf encouraged people to send in their written comments. (Ways to send in comments are listed in the left hand column.)

Among the 29 people who spoke during the 1 hour and 45 minute meeting, were Town Councilmember Carrie Brooks, Lovel Pratt, Frank Bruch, Michael Soltman and Alan Paschal. Bruch and LaPorte have both written letters which explain their concerns. Pratt spoke about the importance to farmers of the transportation system. She mentioned the letter the Grange sent to WSF. That letter and letters from LaPorte and Bruch are posted here.

Brooks, who is a member of the Friday Harbor Town Council, handed the officials a copy of her remarks which included taxing electric cars, charging trucks that are barged over to pay for their ride back to the mainland, save money by not removing the temporary slip, and use a card system similar to gift cards used in department stores.

Soltman, superintendent of San Juan Island School District, spoke about the hardship higher prices place on working families. Several years ago there were more than 1,100 children in school. This year there are 850. "Over half are single-parent families, (with a parent) working two or three jobs. It makes me concerned about the viability of our community and our schools."

Alan Paschal of the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau expressed dismay about the impact the higher ferry fares could have on tourism. The visitors bureau is spending a half million dollars a year on promotion he said. A lead story on a Seattle TV newscast Tuesday night dealt with the high cost of traveling to the San Juan Islands. "We need to remain competitive," he said.

Minnie Knych of the Northwest Workforce also spoke about the importance of the tourism industry in the local economy.

Jim Carroll listed ridership statistics. The ferry system has 2.7 million fewer riders in 2004 compared to 1999. Deardorf said WSF expected to ridership would decrease somewhat after the fares were increased. The decline is leveling out, he said. Despite the almost 10 percent reduction in ridership, because of the higher fares, the total revenue has increased.

Carol Anderson brought in photos of the dirty bathrooms on the ferries. "The first thing they (tourists) see is ghetto-looking ferries."

Anderson said one of his goals is to "instill back a customer service culture in this organization. That includes clean bathrooms." In response to several comments involving the work habits of crew members, he said, "People get paid for eight hours, they should be working. I agree with you 100 percent."

Islanders tied on white and green ribbons symbolizing the ferry colors.

Friday Harbor High School band director Janet Olsen and high school band members serenaded the protestors.

Liz Illg organized the protest.

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