(Guemes Ferry Terminal)
The county has been allocated $750,000 in federal money to build a new ferry terminal for the Guemes Island ferry. But, the state failed to get $26 million to build a new Anacortes ferry terminal.
Governor Chris Gregoire said "I am extremely disappoited, and I am asking questions" about the process that all but shut out Washington state. Gregoire said "We have the largest ferry fleet in America and we didn't get anything. I don't get it."
The announcement was apparently a jolt to Senator Patty Murray, who had played a key role in getting money for ferry projects included in the nearly $800 million federal stimulus package.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in a news release accompanying the list of allocations, said most of the projects are located in economically distressed areas and will address critical transportation needs.
"The projects we selected will help put people back to work and at the same time offer more access to areas that lack transportation options," LaHood said. "It is about providing more travel choices to people from communities that need it the most."
The new Guemes ferry terminal will serve the Guemes Island Ferry line, which averages 400,000 annual passengers and is the only public transportation service to the island.
Other stimulus funds will be used to repave much of Sixth St. from the ferry landing east towards downtown Anacortes. According to City Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer, the city has about $700,000 to repave Sixth and will stretch it as far east from the Guemes terminal as possible. Street repaving is set to start by the end of next month.