HomeMy WebLinkAbout101518_ra02 JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Philip Morley, County Administrato ,
DATE: October 15, 2018
RE: BoCC Discussion of Draft Comment letter on Washington State Ferries Long Range
Plan
STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Commissioners will discuss how they may wish to prepare a comment
letter on Washington State Ferries' proposed Long Range Plan. Comments on the Plan are due
by October 25, 2018.
ANALYSIS: On September 24, Tom Thiersch, a member of our local Ferry Advisory Committee,
briefed the Board of County Commissioners on Washington State Ferries 2040 Long Range Plan.
In addition to describing the Plan itself, Mr. Thiersch shared a comment letter that was
submitted by Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson (attached), as well as the local
Ferry Advisory Committee's own comment recommendations, shown below.
Port onsend - FAC Comments
The Ferry Advisory Committee's joint comments on the Draft
LRP are (1):
• Support letter from Island County Commissioner Helen Price
Johnson
— Add 2 hours of service per day in 2019
— Extend 2-boat service season sooner than 2028
— 2-boat service should start before Easter, end after
Thanksgiving
— Add 2-boat service for year-end 3-week holiday season
• Conduct new study for Keystone Harbor / PT Terminal
— Allow use of common medium-size fleet vessels
— Potentially avoid cost of hybridization of 64-car ferries
— Reduce/eliminate tidal current cancellations, grounding
errors
1 of 3
Port Townsend FAC Comments
The Ferry Advisory Committee's joint comments on the Draft
LRP are (2):
• "144-car" should be the new, common medium-size vessel
• "124-car" size seems unnecessary and costly
• Fewer classes of vessels will reduce costs for
— Design / engineering / construction
— Training
— Maintenance
— Parts
• Incorporate solar energy systems into electrification plan
— Large-scale energy storage at terminals
— Reduce load on grid
— Improve resiliency in the event of natural disaster
The 2040 Long Range Plan can be viewed on line at:
https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2018/09/17/WSF Draft Long Range Plan.pdf
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
RECOMMENDATION: Discuss potential comments, and give direction for drafting a comment
letter for Board review and approval on October 22, 2018.
REVD :Y:
'hilip Morle o tyAdministra Date
2 of 3
Deception
Pass
WHIDB Y ISLAND
NAS Whidbey i j, Island County Board of Commissioners
Oak Harbor Fh'''
Seaalane P.O.Box 5000 Phone: (360)679-7354
San de Fpoa• B'se Coupeville,Washington 98239-5000 From Camano: (360)629-4522
CAMANO From S.Whidbey: (360)321-5111
cpupavtite ISLAND Fax
(360)679-7381
cota"o www,lslandcounty.net
Kept°ie )
9t'penbank
Saratoga
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Langley
Pr otaad Bayview ..
Clinton I
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Maxv/elton'
September 7, 2018
i
Amy Scarton
Assistant Secretary
Washington State Ferries
2901 Third Avenue,Suite 500
Seattle WA 98121 i
Subject: Coupeville Ferry Route Capacity Increase Request 1
)
Dear Ms.Scarton,
Demand for ferry service on the Coupeville to Port Townsend route exceeds supply and has not been (
restored to historic levels that existed prior to the advent of the Kwa-di Tabil class of boats which began
i
to come into use in 2010. Specifically we request that both the 2019 budget and the long range plan 1
(LRP) be amended to include additional service as follows:
i
• 2019 budget:add 2 additional service hours daily during the peak season(May through October)
• LRP—extend 2 boat service prior to the Easter holiday and through the Thanksgiving weekend.
Additionally, resume 2 boat service for the 3 week period surrounding Christmas and New Year,
weather dependent as usual but more so considering the winter season aspect.
1
The current version of the LRP calls for expanded service in 2028. We are confounded by this date. In
the seven years since 2010 ridership on this route is up 43%. Further,the first quarter of 2018 numbers
were up 7.4%and the 2"d quarter 3.7%. The peak 3rd quarter has been equally heavy,with the exception
of the crab pot incidents. What is important is to avoid anything like the 10 week loss of the Salish in
2017. See the attached route growth table.
I
WSF has the vessel capacity needed to expand the service here,and these vessels are really only good
for this route.The KDTs(64-car ferries)are a very poor fit on any other route for other than emergency
replacement situations.They are not very practical as"maintenance relief"vessels due to limited vehicle 1
and passenger capacity and high fuel consumption.
1
1
I
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)
Lastly,there is much evidence that this route is constrained. It is true that the implementation of the
reservation system has provided a much improved experience for those who can use it.This has been
particularly important for commercial and military traffic. However during peak season, reservation slots
are constantly booked out. Further, the reservation system doesn't capture those who wish to ride but
can't. During the last two summers complaints about lack of availability have continued to increase.
WSF's route congestion chart shows likely drive up (standby) success on only 11%of the 216 weekly
sailings. Whidbey might not always be the final destination for tourists, but the lack of connections via
CV-PT reduces Whidbey tourism, and redirects those traveling to/from the Olympic peninsula, 1
increasing traffic onto the 1-5 corridor and the Edmonds-Kingston route.
Thank you for your attention to this issue. Please contact me or the Coupeville FAC Chairman Ralph
Young for more information. We look forward to continuing ferries success with the LRP.
Sincerely,
Q-1-AAA-9-
Helen Price Johnson
Island County Commissioner
Cc: Ralph Young, Coupeville Ferry Advisory Committee,Chair
Brian Wood, Island County Transportation Planner
CV PT Change in Ridership
Total Ridership %Change
Q2 18 3.7 total ferry system down .4%
Q1 18 7.4 total ferry system up 2.7%
2017 806,823 -1.5 loss of 1 boat for 10 weeks during 3rd qtr peak(crabpot)
2016 819,285 4.1
2015 787,391 8.9
2014 723,045 6.5
2013 678,622 -0.8
2012 683,944 3.2 2/14 Salish replaces Chet
2011 662,026 17.4 7/1 Kennewick
2010 563,804 11/14 Chetzemoka