State ferry officials have set an open house for Wednesday to gather public input as the ferry system builds a long-term plan. The open house will be at 6 pm Wednesday at the Fidalgo Senior Center.
David Moseley, the head of Washington State Ferries, is expected to discuss changes to the ferry system and a summary of long-term funding options. Other ferry officials will review several strategies they’re considering, as well as specific packages that affect the Anacortes to San Juans routes.
According to documents the WSF is circulating, the following strategies present the greatest potential for keeping the ferry system alive:
- Reservations for vehicles
- Pricing strategies
- Transit enhancements
Specific pricing strategies proposed include:
- Peak period congestion pricing for vehicles, higher prices during high demand periods (exempt registered carpools and vanpools).
- Change frequent user vehicle discount policy to incorporate peakperiod pricing.
- Off-peak vehicle discounts to encourage travel during low demand periods.
- Small vehicle incentive pricing to encourage customers to shift from larger vehicles to smaller ones, effectively increasing the vessel capacity.
- Lower fares for passengers to encourage walk-ons, carpools.
In late Nov./Dec., WSF will hold public hearings on a revised long-range plan in communities around the Sound. The plan will be finalized going into the 2009 Legislative session.