OLYMPIA — Arguing that the state ferry system should be more flexible when formulating rates, Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Kitsap County, this week shepherded legislation through the Senate to consider additional factors before adopting new rate schedules.
Senate Bill 5729, sponsored by Rockefeller, requires the state Department of Transportation and the Transportation Commission to consider both the pre-purchase of multiple fares – whether for a single rider or multiple riders – and frequent ferry users who live in ferry-dependent communities.
Currently, fares for the Kingston/Edmonds and Bainbridge/Seattle routes pay far more than the actual operating costs. It appears that DOT officials will propose a 5 percent increase in fares and the elimination of pre-purchasing multiple fares.
“We already pay disproportionately high fares, and many of us compensate somewhat by pre-purchasing at a discount,” Rockefeller noted. “Eliminating that option would add insult to injury.”
Senators Harriet Spanel, D-Bellingham and Bob Oke, R-Port Orchard, both representing ferry-dependent districts, also spoke in favor of the bill.
SB 5729 was unanimously approved by the Senate and now goes to the House of Representatives.
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