Are ferries like highways or trains?

Representative Jan Angel of Port Orchard says "No one would dream of removing a highway simply because funds are short. Yet when you remove or curtail ferry service, that's exactly what you are doing -- removing a marine highway. We need to begin thinking of it as such."

Angel adds that highways are funded even during tough times.

In a recent editorial, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said “The highway metaphor is absolutely on point for many ferry-dependent communities, especially in the San Juan Islands.”

But, the editorial went on to say the ferry system is more like a train or a bus system than a highway. “And that might mean configuring the system -- or systems -- in a very different way, including fewer slots for cars and more rapid transportation for people,” it said.

The editorial pointed out that ferry riders are expected to fund most of the cost of operating the ferry system, while train and bus commuters expect a healthy subsidy from the government.

The editorial concluded: “ So far the state hasn't shown any leadership for remaking the ferry system for the next century. The only way ahead is to start with a clear agreement about the ferry's mission.”