ISLAND COUNTY: Commissioner Bacon urges lawmakers to prioritize ferry funding (WNT)

Kira Erickson reports on Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon‘s (D-Langley) testimony in legislative committee hearings.

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon is speaking up about the dire need for better ferry service on Whidbey Island.

Bacon, whose district encompasses Central and South Whidbey, occupies a unique position in the state. The Coupeville-Port Townsend and Clinton-Mukilteo ferry routes are both located within the district that she represents.

Last month Bacon testified via Zoom about the necessity for more funding during meetings of the state Senate and House transportation committees. She urged state lawmakers to prioritize the funding of ferry staff initiatives and expansion of the fleet.

They Said It

The Clinton-Mukilteo route is the most heavily driven route in the state, she said, while the Coupeville-Port Townsend route is essential for transporting freight to the Olympic Peninsula.

“We who live on Whidbey Island rely on the ferries to go to the doctor, to shop and travel on the mainland and to get to work,” she said, adding that Boeing is the largest private employer of Island County residents, who must travel to Everett for their jobs.

State Rep. Dave Paul, whose district represents Whidbey Island and who serves as vice chair of the House Transportation Committee, said that Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed supplemental budget for 2024 prioritizes ferries.

“Folks have every right to be frustrated and angry, with too many boats out of service and we haven’t built any new boats in over a decade,” Paul said in an interview with The [South Whidbey] Record.

The good news, Paul said, is that up to two builders will be able to simultaneously work on constructing new boats.

“My job is to make sure we are building a boat every other year to make sure we don’t get in this mess again,” he said.