Passenger Ferry

Washington State House and Senate Introduce Passenger Ferry Bills

Both the House and Senate have introduced Bills in support of passenger only ferry service. For more information on the Bills or to follow their progress visit the Washington State Legislature’s Bill Information Page at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/. Copies of the Bills can be downloaded here: House Bill 3270 Senate Bill 6787

POF Task Force Report

Final Report of the Passenger Only Ferry Task Force convened by the Joint Transportation Committee of the Washington State Legislature in 2005 to review alternative proposals for providing passenger only ferry service in Puget Sound. Download Here

Water Taxis Still Float Mayor’s Boat

This article, published by The Tacoma News Tribune, quotes Discovery Institute Fellow Bruce Agnew:

The Cascadia Center, a Seattle-based nonprofit group, plans to hold a meeting soon with Gig Harbor, Tacoma and Des Moines leaders to discuss the water taxi idea. Cascadia is a policy group that studies, among other things, how to improve transportation on the Interstate 5 corridor.

A water taxi system is also scheduled for discussion during a meeting between Cascadia officials and area legislators March 29, said center director Bruce Agnew.

He said the group wants to commission an informal survey that gauges whether people even want the service. Wilbert posted a similar survey on Gig Harbor’s Web site in late 2003. It garnered almost 60 responses, mostly positive, she said.

Cascadia also hopes city leaders will unite and ask the Legislature to fund an in-depth, more scientific study on the need and potential effects of a South Puget Sound water taxi system.

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Key Players Divided On Foot-Ferry Financing

Original Article A top transportation leader bucks her fellow senators and argues against state funding for the Southworth ‘triangle route.’ By Niki King, Sun Staff March 30, 2005 With less than a month to go in this year’s legislative session, it’s still not clear whether lawmakers will fund a state-operated passenger-only ferry route between Southworth, Vashon Island and downtown Seattle. Read More ›