Mukilteo fears it will lose its ferry terminal as state pinches pennies

Published 11:12 pm Wednesday, June 11, 2008

MUKILTEO — Lawmakers want to get as much mileage as possible from the state’s aging ferry system.

Mukilteo leaders hope that doesn’t cost their city a new ferry terminal, a project that at one point ballooned to an estimated $300 million.

By making changes such as increasing fares or using a reservation system, Washington State Ferries officials believe they can reduce stress on the ferry system without spending as much money on terminal improvements.

That wouldn’t completely solve the problem in Mukilteo, where traffic lines waiting for ferries often clogs the only road to the city’s waterfront, city leaders said after meeting with ferry officials this week.

“I felt that Washington State Ferries has a lot of good things they’re looking at,” Mukilteo City Councilman Kevin Stoltz said. “But my concern is there’s too much emphasis on what can we do better with what we have, and the results might be Mukilteo may never get the terminal that’s been promised to us.”

Rather than focus on building new terminals, state lawmakers have ordered ferries officials to start building new boats and study ways to improve the system’s efficiency.

Ferries officials are considering increasing fares during rush hour, charging more money for larger vehicles or making it cheaper for commuters to board ferries on less popular routes. They’re also considering an expansion of a reservation system, requiring people to call ahead to hold spots on the boats.

The state also is studying how to make the ferries more user friendly, such as by providing better links with public transportation or improving phone- and Internet-based customer service.

Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine isn’t convinced those measures would solve the problem in Mukilteo.

“This has been going on now for 38 years, and nothing has changed,” Marine said. “Literally nothing has been done down there.”

The city’s preferred plan for a new ferry terminal included features such as over-the-water parking and a commuter parking garage. However, the project’s estimated price tag skyrocketed from $167 million to more than $300 million because of rising construction costs and the archeological discovery that there may have been American Indian activities on the beach.

To keep project costs down, the state drew up two new plans, each with construction costs around $110 million. The state has already spent about $30 million on environmental studies and preliminary work.

Mukilteo leaders believe the original plan would best meet the state’s needs.

“We have an opportunity to do it right now,” Marine said. “Let’s do it right now, so we don’t have to come back and piecemeal it in another 50 years.”

Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.