Ferry system proposes cuts to Bremerton-Seattle route
BREMERTON, Wash. - A money-saving proposal by the state ferry system to eliminate late-night and mid-day sailings from the Bremerton-Seattle route would have a serious detrimental impact on Kitsap County, says Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent.
Lent said Washington State Ferries chief David Moseley informed her and other city leaders about the proposal on Wednesday. Under the proposal, the last boat from Bremerton would sail at 7:55 p.m. and the final ferry from Seattle would leave at 9:05 p.m. A mid-day round trip would be cut as well.
The cuts, combined with reductions on other ferry routes, are designed to save $5 million at a time when the state Department of Transportation is faced with diminishing gas tax revenues.
But Lent says the cuts to Bremerton service would wreak havoc on Kitsap County.
"(It) eliminates any kind of sports activities or theater or anything that people are attracted to in Seattle," she said in an interview with KOMO Newsradio. "They wouldn't be able to stay for any performance by having a 9 o'clock departure out of Seattle."
Potentially more serious is the impact on the county's tourism industry and on the Bremerton naval shipyard, which relies on the ferry system to get workers to and from three different work shifts at all hours of the day and night.
"It affects our Navy because we have people from Everett and from Seattle (working there). Our shipyard has people on three shifts, and they won't be able to travel back and forth by ferry. So it does have a bigger impact," she said.
Lent said Bremerton will band with other cities affected by proposed cuts, including Port Townsend, Mukilteo, Clinton, Anacortes and San Juan Islands, to propose alternatives to cuts in ferry service. A meeting of ferry-dependent communities is planned for Saturday, with more meetings to follow.
"We're going to go in strong. We do have over 70 percent fare box recovery. There is no other highway system in our state that has any kind of recovery. So even though there is support (from state taxes), it's not taking away from other roadways."
Lent said Washington State Ferries chief David Moseley informed her and other city leaders about the proposal on Wednesday. Under the proposal, the last boat from Bremerton would sail at 7:55 p.m. and the final ferry from Seattle would leave at 9:05 p.m. A mid-day round trip would be cut as well.
The cuts, combined with reductions on other ferry routes, are designed to save $5 million at a time when the state Department of Transportation is faced with diminishing gas tax revenues.
But Lent says the cuts to Bremerton service would wreak havoc on Kitsap County.
"(It) eliminates any kind of sports activities or theater or anything that people are attracted to in Seattle," she said in an interview with KOMO Newsradio. "They wouldn't be able to stay for any performance by having a 9 o'clock departure out of Seattle."
Potentially more serious is the impact on the county's tourism industry and on the Bremerton naval shipyard, which relies on the ferry system to get workers to and from three different work shifts at all hours of the day and night.
"It affects our Navy because we have people from Everett and from Seattle (working there). Our shipyard has people on three shifts, and they won't be able to travel back and forth by ferry. So it does have a bigger impact," she said.
Lent said Bremerton will band with other cities affected by proposed cuts, including Port Townsend, Mukilteo, Clinton, Anacortes and San Juan Islands, to propose alternatives to cuts in ferry service. A meeting of ferry-dependent communities is planned for Saturday, with more meetings to follow.
"We're going to go in strong. We do have over 70 percent fare box recovery. There is no other highway system in our state that has any kind of recovery. So even though there is support (from state taxes), it's not taking away from other roadways."
Good move, Bremerton is nothing but a cesspool of crime and drugs anyway. No one in their right mind would take a fery there without a death wish. Nothing but slums, predatory police, red light cameras, crime, and more slums.
Navy can take over running anything it wants anytime day or night to get workers to the shipyard. Â Just saying...
Don't forget about the Southworth ferry as well
So, Kitsap county has two other ferries right around the corner, Kingston and Bainbridge. If that doesn't work Seattle's only about an hour drive from Bummertown.
There is an a huge wast in the WSDOT ferry system. The public unions for one, as well as the cost of the vessel and upkeep. I am not sure of the ridership, but I am sure that this mode of transportation is heavily subsidized.Â
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Besides, who really wants to go to Seattle or Bremerton for that matter?
Time to build that big bridge that's been on the drawing board for about a hundred years. I've seen the plans for it.  I know things move slow around here but come on!
 @TheTruncheon It would be cool, but imagine the cost of building it, and then upkeep. Might as well run a fleet of ferries...
 @Heisenberg  @TheTruncheon Golden Gate Bridge.  Oakland Bay Bridge.  520 Bridge.  I-90 Bridge.  Tacoma Narrows Bridge. They didn't cost much at all.
 @Tiramisu  @Heisenberg Yeah, well, many times it's not the cost in dollars, but in political will power to get good things for the public done. There's not much of that around here anymore. Of course, things like destroying the fun forest for a glass house against the myriad outrages of the general public, that kind of stuff does get done, quite easily.
Too much waste and fraud in the ferry system. Eliminate this route entirely. It's just about as fast to drive around.
This would be disastrous for the economy in the City of Bremerton and much of Kitsap County.Â
I say it's high time we started rotting government out of business at every turn. Sell the damn ferries. To the towns businesspeople on the runs who want to be a carrier. Just bind their positions like we do Boeing critical assets, but extended over the ferries' lifetime.
Rooting, rotting, whatever. In government it's all the same rotten root anywho.
@FreeCoffeeNow! you would pay more in the long run, based on higher salaries and benefits. The state ferry system wages for IT workers myself are not-competitive; I interviewed for a job in IT several years back and the wages sucked. They were also salaried, and the workers in private sector tend to make hourly wages so they could earn more than a base salary
Do you remember when WSF bought a ferry for the Pt. Townsend/Keystone run a few years back. They paid over $80 million. Massachusetts had just purchased a vessel from the same design for less than half that. Reason? Washington state law requires that WSF ferries be built in Washington. Since there is only one shipyard capable of that, it was a sole source bid. And we got ripped.
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We have the same thing going with the ferry system itself. By law, no one is permitted to compete with them. They can be as inefficient as they wish to be without concern. If they can't raise taxes or fares, they can just cut service.
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How about a little open market competition here. Let's see what that might do.
@JusUsDogs I like the theory about being local, in washington. But that does hurt in the long run; the state could take any money saved and invest it elsewhere and other projects, inside the state.
Oh, and that same vessel you were talking about; Â MV Chetzemoka. Remember it listed to one side? The state said it was designed that way, and the list was due to a stairway being on one side. Also, it was a small ferry, but the most expensive ever
 @northwestsurfer Yeah, some boats are "supposed" to list... that's how it was "designed"... give me a break. People have been building boats for over 3000 years...
@TheTruncheon I know, how stupid do they think we are?
I can see that any thoughts of spending the evening in Seattle would be seriously curtailed to those who intend to be finished with dinner and ready for home by 8:30. Forget about the theater or night clubbing. How about a night game of baseball or soccer? They will be out. It may be hard on Kitsap County but it may be harder on the cash boxes in Seattle! Â On the other hand, the city of Bremerton might see further growth in their dinner and music scene. Look for entrepreneurs to rise to the fore.
The Ferry System can make the runs they want (24 hours a day for all I care). I only ask one thing. Charge enough to the actual riders that it covers ALL the costs of the ferry system. I am tired of subsidizing the life style of people who want to live on islands or commute over water from their rural homes.Â
Keep payin that mechanic a half mil a year so you can stop service to servicemen in the major military buildup planned for Washington. That'll go over really well.
 @FreeCoffeeNow! "major military buildup planned for Washington"
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Really? That's news.
With all these cuts only saving 5 million dollars it doesn't seem to add up. I don't ride the ferries but I do understand those who have to depend on them or force them to drive to Tacoma to cross the Narrows Bridge.
People are paying 70% of the cost which I'm sure is more than the average bus rider pays to ride the bus.
I would think their could be other efficiencies in the Transportation department that could offset the costs.
 @mstipton What I like is that Mukilteo is going to fight any cuts to service in their town.  Just read the Mukilteo Beacon and you will see where the town and it people complain about the traffic that is created by the ferries...  Go figure, Mucks..........................