Lately we have seen a number of policies implemented by the Washington State Department of Transportation that have made life hard on commuters from all areas.There are dramatically rising toll rates on I-405, sky high gas prices thanks to the new Cap & Trade tax, and a mismanaged, aged ferry fleet that continues to cost taxpayers more and more while delivering unreliable service.

As a King County Councilmember and lifelong resident of King County, I have dedicated my career to helping solve the problems faced by the people of King County, my neighbors, my constituents, and my friends. But recently, I have been forced to watch as thousands of King County employees, residents, and commuters who rely on our once robust ferry system are left struggling. The State needs to act with urgency to improve our ferry system for the sake of all Washingtonians who rely on ferries to get to their homes, their jobs, or medical appointments and commutes around the Puget Sound.

The Washington State Ferry Fleet is a necessary part of our state highway system, giving those who rely on it a safe and reliable way to get to and from one part of the Sound to another. Communities along the Sound have relied on ferries for nearly two centuries, from the time the first steamboat began operating in the Puget Sound in 1830, to the Puget Sound Navigational Company, and then operating as the Blackball Ferry Line, until finally selling its operations to the Washington State Department of Transportation and creating the Washington State Ferries in 1951. For half a century, Washington State has held the responsibility of maintaining this critical infrastructure for its now 17.4 million riders annually, but the ferry system is now failing to meet this basic obligation.

There are so many problems with our ferry system. Constant delays, breakdowns, and staffing issues, our ferry fleet has become known around the region as one of the easiest ways to ruin your commute. While Washington currently has the largest ferry network in the nation, only nine ships of our 21 are considered in good condition1.

This has resulted in some routes sporting a reliability rate as low as 75 percent. The effect on passengers is late arrivals to work, added hours to their commute, and increased frustration with a transportation network. If almost 1 in 4 rides is late or simply never arrives at all we are sending a message to commuters that their time and their plans don’t matter to us and its obvious WSDOT is mismanaging its basic responsibilities.

This untenable situation is a direct result of poor planning and administration of what constitutes necessary infrastructure for our region.

It should come as no surprise that the older ferries, some of which are pushing 60 years of age, are in poor condition. Yet, the strategic plan of the state legislature, since the turn of the millennium, has added only seven new ferries, far short of what is needed to renew the fleet.

This is a strategy that forces us to pay increasing maintenance costs as breakdowns occur more often and parts become discontinued, and Washingtonians are ultimately stuck footing the bill. This year there have been over 900 sailings canceled, and Washington State Ferries recently revealed that they will not be able to provide full-service levels until new ferries are delivered. It’s hoped the ferries are delivered in 2027, though it will likely be far longer.

Additionally, according to the Seattle Times, we have seen repair costs for the fleet increase by over $60 million this year alone1 to a total of $270 million a year, a nearly 25 percent increase. This is a problem that wasn’t the product of one or two decisions, but of years of bad planning.

The most glaring example of bad policy decisions was the state strategy to implement a “made in Washington” mandate for ferry production. That mandate drove up the costs of adding new boats to the fleet by creating a monopoly because only one ferry builder in the state was capable of taking on the contracts. That has since been remedied as of last year with House Bill 1846, which allowed the state to take bids from out of state producers, but we are not out of the woods yet.

2024 offers our state government the opportunity to right the ship, so to speak, but there is no room for error. Olympia lawmakers and state bureaucrats need to stop the bleeding of our ferry system by demanding more accountability.

The State will hire a new head of the fleet as embattled head Patty Rubstello steps down this month. It will be critical that this process is done with an eye on the future as the plans they make now will have long reaching effects that people will feel in their commutes, in their property values, and the way the state manages transportation issues in the future.

The State’s most pressing goal is to agree to a contract for the replacement ferries, and only the right administrator can ensure that they are delivered on time and on budget. It is important to remember that strategies are an intentional long-term plan of action. While the state legislature has taken steps to address some immediate problems, there are still fundamental strategic changes that need to be made under the new head of the fleet.

To find and contact your local Representatives and Senators, head to app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder.