Overview of Ferry Financing Legislation
During the 2007 legislative session, the Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2358 (ESHB 2358) - “the Ferry Bill” - and the associated biennial transportation budget ESHB 1094. The legislation contained specific policy and operational directives to assess the efficiency and costs related to how WSDOT Ferries Division (WSF) provides service. The results of the studies that we conducted to address the legislation were intended to derive strategies for how WSF operates in the future.
The legislation identified specific topics for study and required new levels of cooperation and collaboration among the Legislature (through the Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) and the JTC Ferry Policy Subcommittee), the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC), and WSF. These directives followed from the January 2007 JTC Ferry Financing Study (also referred to as Ferry Financing Phase 1 or the Cedar River Group Report) and were the next steps in the process of developing a policy framework to address the long-term sustainability of WSF.
Given the mission-critical nature of the legislative direction, WSF leadership was committed to meeting the objectives of ESHB 2358 through a comprehensive and systemic methodology.
Work program
The flowchart below shows what occurred prior to the legislation (ESHB 2358/1094) and what work occurred leading up to the 2009 legislative session. It also depicts the iterative, collaborative effort between the WSTC, WSF and the JTC to arrive at a revised long-range plan for the ferry system and draft 16-year capital budget.
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JTC ferry policy subcommittee
The Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) formed a Ferry Policy Subcommittee to provide review and oversight. Members of this subcommittee included:
- Representative Christine Rolfes
- Rep. Larry Seaquist
- Rep. Norma Smith
- Rep. Judy Clibborn
- Rep. Doug Ericksen
- Senator Mary Margaret Haugen
- Sen. Dan Swecker
- Sen. Derek Kilmer
- Sen. Harriett Spanel
The subcommittee was supported by a staff group comprised of:
- Jill Satran, Governor's office
- Paul Neal, JTC staff
- Senate & House Transportation Staff
- Kathy Scanlan, Cedar River Group
- Steve Reinmuth, WSDOT Chief of Staff
- Gary Lebow, WSDOT Program Delivery Manager
- Reema Griffith, WSTC Executive Director
- Rich Struna, Office of Financial Management
- Robin Rettew, Office of Financial Management
- David Moseley, WSDOT/WSF Assistant Secretary
- Marta Coursey, WSDOT/WSF Communications Director
- Ray Deardorf, WSDOT/WSF Planning Director
- Tim Smith, WSDOT/WSF Terminal Engineering Director
Below are links to handouts and presentations that WSF provided to the JTC Ferry Policy Group at their public meetings.
Aug. 28, 2007
Oct. 30, 2007
Dec. 10, 2007
Jan. 17, 2008
Feb. 7, 2008
May 23, 2008
July 8, 2008
Sept. 10, 2008
Nov. 17, 2008
Local agency review team
WSF formed a local agency review team (LART), comprised of staff representatives from local and regional governments in communities where WSF operates. They served as a technical sounding board and helped ensure consistency with local and regional data and plans. The local agency review team met at specific milestones. Representation included:
Regional
- Puget Sound Regional Council, Principal Planner Stephen Kiehl
- Island County Public Works, Transportation Planner Mike Morton
- Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, Executive Director Mary McClure
Local
- City of Seattle, Department of Transportation, Senior Transportation Planner Ann Sutphin
- City of Bainbridge Island, Director of Planning and Community Development Greg Byrne
- City of Edmonds, Director of Community Services Stephen Clifton
- City of Mukilteo, Director of Community Development Heather McCartney
- City of Friday Harbor, Land Use Administrator Mike Bertrand
- City of Anacortes, Director of Planning and Community Development Ian Munce
- City of Port Townsend, Director of Planning Rick Sepler
- City of Bremerton, Director of Public Works Phil Williams
- San Juan County, County Administrator Pete Rose
- Kitsap County Public Works, Transportation Planner Greg Cloc
Transit
- Kitsap Transit, Director of Service Development John Clausen
- Sound Transit, Senior Planner Matt Shelden
- King County Metro, Management Services Analyst Mike Sudduth
LART meeting summaries
WSTC market survey oversight group
The Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) formed a group to oversee the market surveys. Membership included:
- Commissioner Bob Distler
- Comm. Dan O'Neal
- Comm. Elmira Forner
- Reema Griffith, WSTC Executive Director
- Jill Satran, Governor's office
- Paul Neal, JTC staff
- Senate & House Transportation Staff
- Kathy Scanlan, Cedar River Group
- Steve Reinmuth, WSDOT Chief of Staff
- David Moseley, WSDOT/WSF Assistant Secretary
- Marta Coursey, WSDOT/WSF Communications Director
- Ray Deardorf, WSDOT/WSF Planning Director
- Ferry Advisory Committee Representative
WSF organization
As noted above, WSF had responsibility for several key tasks including: operational, pricing and vehicle level of service (LOS) strategies, terminal design standards, ridership forecasts, and co-development. WSF identified several teams to work in these technical disciplines. We shared information across and up in the organization as well as with the public and local jurisdictions.
Draft long-range plan
WSF developed a draft long-range plan through 2030 based on the 2007 legislative direction. The goal of the draft long-range plan was to assess the needs of ferry customers and develop a service and capital program that was responsive to those needs, while providing policy makers with the right information to develop a long-term solution that addresses WSF’s financial sustainability.
The draft plan was released on December 19, 2008 (available for download below). The public comment period ended January 26, 2009. The revised draft plan was provided to the Washington State Legislature on January 31, 2009 (also available for download below). The revised draft plan began the policy discussion, and presented for the communities, the Legislature and the Governor scenarios that sought to balance achievable service goals and funding requirements. WSF revised the plan based on 2009 legislative direction, and the final version of the plan was released on June 30, 2009.
Dec. 19, 2008 draft long-range plan (full plan - pdf 1.6 MB)
Executive Summary (pdf 524 kb)
Background (pdf 358 kb)
Our Customers: Ridership and Demand (pdf 312 kb)
Customer Service: Level of Service Standards (pdf 220 kb)
Operations: Adaptive Management Strategies (pdf 350 kb)
Draft Long-Range Plan (pdf 384 kb)
Next Steps (pdf 76 kb)
APPENDICES
A. Summary of Legislative Requirements (pdf 68 kb)
B. Terminal Design Standards (pdf 30 kb)
C. List of Participants (pdf 30 kb)
D. Ridership Forecasting Technical Report (pdf 591 kb)
E. Operating Strategies Evaluation
Operational Strategies: Situation Assessment (pdf 56 kb)
Evaluative Framework and Criteria (pdf 145 kb)
Summary of Operational and Pricing Strategy Best Practices (pdf 329 kb)
Strategy Screening Worksheets (pdf 350 kb)
F. Proposed Transit Enhancements by Terminal (pdf 114 kb)
G. Reservation System Details by Route (pdf 46 kb)
H. Pricing Strategies Evaluation (pdf 286 kb)
I. Environmental Considerations (pdf 62 kb)
J. One-Point Toll Collection Technical Memorandum (pdf 36 kb)
Jan. 31, 2009 revised draft long-range plan (full plan - pdf 3.4 MB)
Executive Summary (pdf 1.9 MB)
Background and Context (pdf 1.5 MB)
Public and Stakeholder Involvement (pdf 1.5 MB)
Our Customers: Ridership and Demand (pdf 276 kb)
Customer Service: Level of Service Standards (pdf 1.5 MB)
Operations: Adaptive Management Strategies (pdf 1.5 MB)
Revised Draft Plan Scenarios (pdf 1.5 MB)
Next Steps (pdf 1.5 MB)
APPENDICES
A. - F. Identical to Dec. 19 Draft Plan
G. Reservations (pdf 123 kb)
H. Pricing (pdf 356 kb)
I. Environmental Considerations (pdf 130 kb)
J. Identical to Dec. 19 Draft Plan
K. Agency and Stakeholder Comments (pdf 13 MB)
L. Public Comments (pdf 14 MB)