Date:
Monday, March 10, 2008
Contact:
Joy Goldenberg, WSDOT Ferries Division Communications Manager, 206-515-3411
SEATTLE - The Washington State Department of Transportation's Ferries Division has announced a series of Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) public meetings in late March and early April. At these meetings the Ferries Division will introduce the new Assistant Secretary David Moseley, discuss current operational issues, and talk about the work leading up to a revised long-range plan for the ferry system stemming from the 2007 ferry financing legislation.
"I'm looking forward to spending time in the ferry-served communities listening to what our customers have to say," said new Ferries Division Assistant Secretary David Moseley. "I want to meet face-to-face and have constructive conversations with the people who depend on the services we provide every day," he said.
The March/April 2008 round of meetings will begin with a general public comment period, discussion of preliminary technical information used to develop a revised long-range plan for the ferry system and generalized operational issues. All meetings will be 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with the exception of San Juan Islands at Friday Harbor, which will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. due to the sailing schedule.
- Monday, March 24 - Bainbridge Commons, 402 Brien Drive, Bainbridge Island
- Tuesday, March 25 - Kingston Yacht Club, 25915 Washington Blvd. NE, Kingston
- Wednesday, March 26 - South Colby Elementary, 3281 Banner Rd. SE, Southworth
- Thursday, March 27 - Camp Casey, Auditorium B, 1276 Engle Rd., Coupeville
- Monday, March 31 - Norm Dicks Gov. Center Meeting Room, 345 6th St., Suite 100, Bremerton
- Tuesday, April 1 - City Hall Council Chambers, 904 6th St., Anacortes
- Wednesday, April 2 - Mullis Senior Center, 589 Nash St., Friday Harbor
- Thursday, April 3 - McMurray Middle School Multi-Purpose Room, 9329 SW Cemetery Rd., Vashon Island
At the September 2007 FAC public meetings, the Ferries Division introduced its approach to revising the long-range plan for the system stemming from the 2007 ferry financing legislation. The March/April 2008 meetings will be followed in June 2008 with a round of public meetings focusing on operational and pricing strategies and terminal design standards. In October 2008, there will be another series of public meetings to present and take comments on the revised draft long-range plan. Following these meetings, the plan will be finalized going into the 2009 legislative session. WSDOT encourages public participation in these meetings to help shape the route plans and service strategies in the long-range system plan.
The long-range plan is being developed in response to the 2007 Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2358 - "the Ferry Bill" - and the associated biennial transportation budget ESHB 1094. The legislation contains specific policy and operational directives to assess the efficiency and costs related to how the WSDOT Ferries Division provides service. The results of the studies that are conducted to address the legislation are intended to derive strategies for how the Ferries Division operates in the future.
For more information, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/planning/ESHB2358.
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No Ordinary Journey
Created on June 1, 1951, Washington State Ferries (WSF) is the largest ferry system in the United States and the largest ferry system in the world based on vehicles carried. More than 24 million people a year ride the ferries and over 30,000 vehicles a day use this critical link in the state highway system. WSF has a fleet of 28 vessels and operates 20 terminals throughout Puget Sound.
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