WASHINGTON STATE: Governor-elect Ferguson visits Whidbey to talk about ferries, signals his commitment
Kira Erickson reports from South Whidbey for the Whidbey News-Times.
In one of his first public events since being elected, Bob Ferguson looked towards Whidbey Island.
The governor-elect paid a visit on Wednesday, traveling aboard the Olympic-class Tokitae ferry on the Mukilteo-Clinton route, listening as ferry employees shared their stories and then meeting with Whidbey leaders and elected officials at Clinton Community Hall, where they shared their concerns about the ferry system.
Ferguson began the day with a brief press conference at the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal, fielding questions about the status of Washington State Ferries. In May, the ferry system expects to have three bids – one of which is Whidbey’s own Nichols Brothers Boat Builders – to construct five 160-car hybrid-electric vessels.
They Said It
The incoming governor acknowledged other challenges that must be addressed, including the budget and a lack of workers.
“If you have a crisis, you need to act like it’s a crisis,” Ferguson said.
Jack Schwab, chair of the Coupeville Ferry Advisory Committee, asked about the need for additional ferries between now and 2040 to replace an aging fleet.
[State Representative Dave] Paul responded that there may be opportunities to build more quickly and acknowledged that the legislature has learned that it needs to do a better job with maintenance throughout the entire transportation system.
“That maintenance isn’t as sexy as getting new ferries on the water, but it’s really important,” Paul said.
Setting himself apart from the outgoing governor, however, Ferguson said he would prioritize getting more boats in the water faster, even if that means relying on diesel-fueled vessels.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know this bothers some of my friends, right? But that’s what I will do.”
The discussion strayed to passenger-only ferries, though officials acknowledged Washington State Ferries’ limited bandwidth to build a passenger-only fleet. Curt Gordon, a commissioner for the Port of South Whidbey, spoke of the entity’s efforts to create a passenger-only ferry dock in Clinton.
