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WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |
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Public encouraged to comment on amended tariff proposal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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posted 04/01/05
The original proposal suggested that the multi-ride fare media (now ticket books but will be a scanable card in the fall when the new electronic fare system is implemented) should be replaced with two cards, one that would expire in 30 days instead of the 90 days that exists today and the other that would require only half the number of trips and expire in 60 days.
The original proposal called for a 5% general fare increase. To partially recover some of the additional revenue that would have been generated by the proposed changes to the frequent user discount policies, the general fare increase is now proposed to be 6% instead of 5%.
The original proposal called for charging a 5% surcharge to people purchasing multi-ride cars at the tollbooths instead of online or via a kiosk located in the terminal building. The surcharge would be implemented in May 2006.
The following components from the previous tariff proposal, remain as part this new proposal:
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Ways to commentThe public is welcome to comment on any and all aspects of the new proposal via email at tariff@wsdot.wa.gov Fax: 206.515.3773 Phone: 1.888.808.7977 Mail to: Public MeetingsFerry customers and interested residents can attend public question and answer meetings at the following times and locations: San Juan Islands Whidbey Island Thursday, April 7, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Red Lion Silverdale 3073 NW Bucklin Hill, Silverdale Vashon Island Transportation Commission
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Transportation Commission revised fare proposal; Calls for more public commentposted 03/25/05
The new aspects of the proposal call for a 6% general ferry fare increase while maintaining a 90 days expiration date on multi-ride fare cards, with a 20% discount. The original proposal called for a 5% general fare increase but included more restrictive expiration dates on the multi-ride cards and significant revisions to the discount policies. Also, the original proposal was amended to allow the passenger multi-ride fare media to be used for all passengers traveling together so a family would not have to have a multi-ride card for each family member. The ferry system hosted 13 public open houses and meetings and received over 3700 comments on the original fare proposal, which called for the 5% general fare increase and changing the expiration dates on the multi-ride media from 90 to 30 days. The ferry system is implementing a new electronic fare collection system this fall, replacing ticket books with bar-coded cards. The proposal had also suggested that only one person would be able to use the multi-ride fare media, so that a family would have to have a separate card for each family member. The Tariff Policy Committee met after the public outreach and amended their proposal, changing the expiration date and passenger multi-ride card sharing and suggesting a 6% fare increase, but maintaining the usual fare rounding to a dime for passenger fares and a quarter for car and driver. This "rounding" would have made the fare increase closer to a 7.1% fare increase. "This concerned everyone," says Mike Anderson, Executive Director of the ferry system. "The staff was concerned that, with a quarter rounding for car and driver fares, a 6% increase really became a 7.1% increase and so were members of the Tariff Policy Committee. So the staff countered proposed at the Commission meeting for a 6% increase, but with dime rounding for both passengers and auto/driver." May 1, 2005, Washington State Ferries will implement its usual summer surcharge, raising full fare rates 25% (35% on vehicles and 20% for passengers in the San Juan Islands). However, the extended public comment period required by the change in the original tariff proposal means the fare increase, if approved by the Transportation Commission on April 26, would not be implemented until June 1, 2005. Other aspects of the proposal, that remain unchanged, include:
Customers can comment by e-mail at tariff@wsdot.wa.gov. Ferry staff is quickly preparing new tariff materials, and four public meeting locations and dates are still being determined. Customer Comments Change WSF Tariff Proposalposted 03/19/05
"We heard the ridership loud and clear," says Alice Tawresey, Chair of the Tariff Policy Committee, whose membership is appointed by the Transportation Commission and local county commissions. "The public process is important, people's comments were taken seriously and the committee acted accordingly." Altering the expiration date of multi-ride fare media from 90 to 30 days drew the most concern and comment from the public. The Committee's new proposal leaves the multi-ride fare media at 90 days as well as continues the 20% discount off the full fare price, which is extended to frequent users. The decision to change the most controversial aspects of the tariff proposal came after Washington State Ferries and the Tariff Policy Committee (TPC) hosted 13 open houses and meetings, attended by 1270 ferry users, and received 3754 comments from concerned citizens. However, the TPC felt that it was necessary to make up the revenue gap of approximately $1.7 million that would have been made by changing the expiration dates on the frequent user fare media. The Committee revised the proposal to raise the general fare increase from 5% to 6%, which after rounding averages to be a 7.1% increase system-wide. Rounding passenger fares to the nearest dime and auto/driver fares to the nearest quarter is a policy adopted by the TPC in the mid-90s. For example, currently the non-peak Cross-Sound fare is $10 for car and driver. With the 5% increase, the fare would have been $10.50. A 6% increase would have made it $10.60. With rounding, the price would be $10.75. "Washington State Ferries needs the financial support that these added monies would have brought to the system," says Mike Anderson, Executive Director of the Washington State Ferries. "The Committee truly had a difficult decision to make. They found what they felt was an appropriate balance. I commend them." This fall, the ferry system will introduce an electronic fare collection system, which will replace the current ticket books with a multi-ride card. This new system also drew comments because of its lack of severability. Currently, customers share tickets with family members and friends. The new card system will make this sharing more difficult but the Committee did revise the proposal to allow the passenger multi-ride card to be scanned for more than one passenger on a sailing so that families traveling together can scan the one card for everyone in the family, other than the driver. This would not apply to car and driver multi-ride fares. The convenience card, which would have provided five round trips in 60 days at a 15% discount, was removed from the proposal. The Regional Fare Collection part of the proposal, which changes the definition of youth from 5 to 18 years of age to 6 to 18 years of age to correspond with other transit entities as well as changing the implementation date of fare increase to the first of may, will also remain part of the proposal. The Tariff Policy Committee also voted to charge a 5% surcharge, in May 2006, to customers who purchase the multi-ride fare cards at the tollbooth, thus slowing the line at the tollbooth. The Committee did change this proposal slightly, exempting youth, seniors and disabled customers from the surcharge. These cards will be available at both kiosks at the terminals and via the internet. The ability to pre-purchase full fare tickets in advance to help decrease the tollbooth time for infrequent users will also remain part of the proposal. The promotional fare for the oversize recreational vehicles and buses traveling to and from Sidney to Anacortes, which will cut the fee in half by waiving the overheight surcharge, will also remain part of the proposal. This route, as a tourist route, pays the market rate, which is higher than the trip route equity rates paid by other routes. Also, part of the proposal moving forward is the plan to keep the 10% commercial discount for companies traveling on the ferry system 12 or more times per weekly until the implementation of the new electronic fare collection system in the fall, 2005, when WSF will phase in a more flexible commercial account program. The next step in the tariff process is a Public Hearing, which is being held by the Transportation Commission on Wednesday, March 23 from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at 1011 Western, 5th floor in the Puget Sound Regional Council Boardroom, in downtown Seattle. If the Transportation Commission approves raising the rates to an average of 7%, another public hearing will be planned for April to hear comment on the changed portion of the proposal. New Tariff Proposal Brochure Available at Tollboothsposted 02/08/05
"The new rider discount choices are probably the most controversial," says Traci Brewer-Rogstad, Assistant Operations Director at Washington State Ferries. "Currently, frequent users purchase a ticket book with 20 round trips in it down sound and slightly less in the San Juan Islands. They have 90 days to use the tickets before they expire. These tickets are discounted 20 percent. That means someone who travels every nine days is considered a frequent user. Some people using this discount book do not travel this frequently and share the tickets with family and friends before the expiration date." "The new proposal would lower the expiration date for the commuter discount of 20 percent to 30 days, one round trip every three days," explains Brewer-Rogstad. "The commuter card for the Anacortes-San Juan routes would include five round trips in 30 days at a 25 percent discount for car and driver (that's one trip every six days) and 10 round trips in 30 days for the commuter passenger card at a 35 percent discount." But there is also a new option for customers who do not travel quite so frequently but want a discount. A new convenience card offers five round trips in 60 days at a 15% discount, which will be lowered to 10% in 2006. This new option is less expensive (only five round trips) and for the not so frequent user, still allows a discounted fare. The convenience card option in the San Juan Islands proposes five round trips in 90 days at a 15% discount for car and driver and five round trips in 60 days at a 25% discount for passengers. Washington State Ferries has been facing ongoing and increasing cost pressures since the passage of I-695, a major source of funding for the system. There is little relief in sight with the competition for transportation dollars in Olympia. Rising fuel costs, the need to replace 77-year-old vessels with new ones and the need maintain or replace aging terminals is taking it's toll on a system that has deferred costs for years because of a lack of funds. Brochures explaining the entire proposal are available at the tollbooths, at all ferry terminals and on line at wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/ Proposed fares to take effect May 1, 2005
WSF explains fare proposalposted 01/26/05
On March 1, an Open House and Public Meeting will take place at the Shaw Community Center from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will also be an Open House at the Flounder Bay Café in Anacortes from 5-7 p.m. that evening. On March 2, there will be an Open House and Public Meeting at the Lopez Center on Lopez from 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; an Open House and meeting in Friday Harbor at the Mullis Community Center from 3:15 p.m.-5 p.m. and an Open House and Meeting at the Orcas Center on Orcas Island from 6:30-8:10 p.m. "Change is always difficult," says Traci Brewer-Rogstad, Assistant Operations Director at Washington State Ferries. "It is important during the public comment period of our tariff changes to understand people's concerns. And, as with any change, rumors abound. Some are true but many are false. It's our responsibility as an organization to help people understand the new tariff proposal, the new electronic fare collection system and how it will affect their lives." The 2005-2007 tariff proposal includes a five percent general fare increase and it continues the phase-in of Tariff Route Equity for the Anacortes to Friday Harbor and inter-island routes, capped at no greater than 5 percent above the system-wide fare increases. Tariff Route Equity is the mechanism the ferry system has used to appropriately charge the distance of each route. The system already charged for length and width. In 2001, it was determined that the system should also charge for the length of time it takes to travel. The Anacortes-Lopez route and Anacortes-Shaw-Orcas routes have already been phased in. The Tariff Proposal also includes a new promotional fare for recreational vehicles and buses 20 feet in length and over traveling from Anacortes to Sidney, BC. The new fare will cut the cost by 50 percent, making the route more competitive with other carriers traveling to Victoria. WSF would work with the Anacortes and Vancouver Island Tourism groups to help promote the new fare structure. The proposal also raises the youth fare age from 5 through 18 to 6 through 18, to align WSF with other regional transit operators. The implementation date for the changes and for peak season fares implementation changes from the second Sunday in May to May 1 in the new proposal to allow WSF changes to coincide with other transit operations. Other proposed changes would not be implemented until the fall of 2005, when Washington State Ferries implements a new electronic fare collection system. "First, this new system is a replacement for the current point of sale system, so that WSF can continue to reliably collect and report fare revenue. As part of acquiring a state of the art system, there are enhancements available. One of these is replacing coupons books and passes with a card that can be scanned by readers," says Brewer-Rogstad. "It is not smart card technology nor is it called Orca. That is a regional system to be launched in 2006. Our new system is a precursor to the regional smart card and must be installed before smart card can be introduced at WSF." The tariff proposal suggests a commuter multi-ride car and driver card of five rides in 30 days and a convenience multi-ride car and driver card of five round trips in 90 days at a 15 percent discount. The proposal for passengers is a commuter card of five round trips in 30 days at a 35 percent discount and a convenience card of five round trips in 60 days at a 25 percent discount. "One of concerns in the San Juans is the lack of severability," says Brewer-Rogstad. "Currently, customers buy the frequent user book and share the tickets with friends and family. With the card, it is a bit more difficult to share, which is why the convenience book, with slightly less of a discount, was part of the proposal. While locals might have a problem using five trips in 30 days, they might be able to travel five times in 90 days for the car and driver card and 60 days for a passenger card and still get a slightly smaller discount." The new proposal also allows for the pre-purchase of single full-fare tickets, which would be valid for seven days after purchase. This would allow visitors to the San Juan Islands to pre-purchase their fares and avoid the back up at the tollbooth in Anacortes. "The new ticket system allows us to increase our efficiency and accountability," says Brewer-Rogstad. Customers unable to attend the meetings can comment on the proposal vial mail, email fax or phone.
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