Date:
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Contact:
Reema Griffith, Transportation Commission Executive Director, 360-705-7070
OLYMPIA
– The Washington State Transportation Commission voted to approve a 2.5 percent increase in Washington State Ferry fares at its formal public hearing earlier this week in Seattle. The across-the-board fare increase, the first in two years, takes effect Oct. 11.
The Commission approved an increase in general fares, but rejected a proposed 10 percent summer surcharge that would be charged for the months of July and August. The existing 25 percent peak-season surcharge for vehicles, imposed each year from May 1 to the second Sunday in October, remains in effect. The 10 percent surcharge would have been an additional charge.
The Commission voted on the fare proposal after listening to public comment and taking into consideration the input from public meetings on the Kitsap Peninsula, in the San Juan Islands and on Vashon Island; and from comments received by mail, e-mail and phone.
New fares and policies go into effect Oct. 11, 2009. With the increase, the central Puget Sound passenger fare will rise from $6.70 to $6.90; the car and driver rate will go from $11.55 to $11.85. The entire fare proposal can be found here on the Commission’s Web site.
The Commission approved the following elements within the fare proposal:
- Applying a 2.5 percent across-the-board general fare increase.
- Converting the in-need organization discount pilot program into a permanent program.
- Allowing WSF to collect between 25 to 100 percent of the applicable fare as a non-refundable deposit for advance vehicle reservations on routes with a reservation system. This would be a pre-payment of a portion of or the entire fare and is not an additional fee.
- Eliminating the tollbooth surcharge for multi-ride fare purchases (which had not been implemented).
- Moving toward further implementation of tariff equity affecting San Juan inter-island fares by adding 5 percent on top of the 2.5 percent general increase.
- Allowing WSF flexibility to enter into agreements with fire districts for free passage when on emergency calls in lieu of payment for fire protection services at ferry terminals.
The Commission is designated the State Tolling Authority and as such, sets all state highway and bridge tolls as well as setting fares for Washington State Ferries.
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