Last week on Vashon we saw the public process work well. Officials from Washington State Ferries, after hearing wide concerns about the rewrite of the north-end ferry schedule, seemingly changed their tune. What before sounded like a proposed overhaul of the schedule now sounds more like a partial rewrite. And WSF representatives also vowed to look at other ways to make the boats run on time.
Will the state “fix Fauntleroy first,” as some have demanded? We’re not holding our breath. Will it propose a new schedule that islanders are happy with? Doubtful — many just want the schedule to remain as is. But the head of the ferry system sounded sincere when he told a crowd of islanders at a public meeting last week that he understood their complaints and that his staff would look at all of their options. And he said WSF would plan to only cut runs during non-peak times, something that should come as a relief to commuters.
The change in tune is thanks in part to a small group of local ferry advocates who cried foul when WSF first announced the north-end schedule change. Next year one of Vashon’s smaller ferries will be replaced with a larger one, giving the route greater overall vehicle capacity. Ferry officials say the boat swap will be a good time to add space between sailings on a route known for falling behind schedule easily. As the process began, they said some amount of runs would be cut each day and the remaining runs would be spaced out accordingly.
Vashon’s ferry advocates, however, were quick to point out a multitude of other issues on the route besides its tightly written schedule. Without a police officer directing traffic at Fauntleroy, it takes much longer to unload the boats. Cars could be processed through the tollbooths more efficiently. And ferries often pull away with space onboard and cars waiting on the dock, simply in order to leave on time. Many riders, they pointed out, would rather deal with delays than be left at the dock or see a schedule with fewer sailings. To top it off, these ferry advocates leaked a couple of the state’s draft schedules that would definitely not appeal to commuters.
In true Vashon style, islanders began making noise about the schedule change. And at last week’s meeting, they packed the house, with many standing up to voice their concerns. The head of the ferries did not promise to “Fix Fauntleroy First,” as a large banner put up at the meeting read, but he did say he will try hard to find funding to help the situation. He also said the draft schedules that many have seen are now off the table, and the rewrite team will work to find options that won’t cause longer lines.
We understand why WSF insists the north-end schedule should be rewritten. We also think some changes at Fauntleroy would go far to alleviate problems, and we’re seeing officials begin to agree. We hope we can get on board with their final proposal.
