Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Just under 30 people turned out tonight for the King County Water Taxi Town Hall at Alki Community Center, hosted by County Councilmember Jan Drago, who also chairs the King County Ferry District board.
Joining Drago were Hank Myers, who became KCFD Executive Director in March, and Scott Davis, director of the Marine Division of the King County Department of Transportation. The trio answered questions from attendees, provided updates on the state of the service and its two routes, and gathered information via a survey handout and a “Where Do You Live?” posterboard. Also in attendance was Chris Arkills, transportation adviser to County Executive Dow Constantine, a longtime Water Taxi champion.
The West Seattle-to-downtown run of the 2010 Water Taxi season has been underway for just over two months since its April 5 kickoff. Although the county leaders touted the overall success of the program (which features an upgraded West Seattle dock, relocated downtown dock, new vessel, and new fare structure), Davis reported that overall West Seattle-to-downtown ridership is down about 40% from the same period in 2009 (which was way up from 2008). Vashon-to-downtown ridership, he added, is strong.
(From left, KCFD executive director Myers, KCDOT Marine Division director Davis, Councilmember Drago)
Several attendees offered their theories regarding the decreased ridership (for example, people didn’t know that the ferry’s downtown dock moved, poor 2010 spring weather, increased fares). Davis acknowledged all of those impacts but indicated that he’s still working through the data.
Drago emphasized that she considers a huge part of her job to be finding enough money to “fill the gap” to continue the ferry service year-round, rather than the current “April-to-October” timeframe. Several attendees noted that this was important, because the disruption in service makes many potential riders “forget about the taxi.”
Myers stated that although his data shows that “commuter ridership” for the ferry is strong, a huge focus for the service is still tourism, in particular “local travelers” and families who increasingly choose local day-trips for their leisure time.
Although a couple of attendees openly questioned the necessity of a water-taxi program in the currently challenging economic climate, the majority of the audience identified themselves as “big fans” who “love the water taxi” and want to make it better.
Highlights of the Q&A and “what’s new” session (added 1:53 am):
THE NEW DOWNTOWN DOCK: While some attendees simply expressed concern that the Water Taxi’s new dock on the Seattle side (Pier 50, further south that the previous Pier 54/55) might be hard to find, others lamented that it was “too far from the Pike Place Market and downtown” and that the dock itself was “poorly lit” and even “creepy.” Myers noted that the new location is closer to major attractions like Safeco Field and Qwest Field, but acknowledged the added Pike Market distance. Drago announced that new “West Seattle Water Taxi” signage for the Seattle side is coming soon (in fabrication now, installation hopefully by the end of June) with a blue color scheme designed to complement the City of Seattle’s existing “signposts” for local attractions. With regard to the dock itself, Davis reported that there is “probably no chance” of the dock moving back to its previous location at Argosy’s pier for several reasons, but that his office is working on improvements, including the hiring of “marine information agents” to be onsite at Pier 50 to assist travelers.
(WSB photo from April)
WEST SEATTLE DOCK, PARKING, SHUTTLES: Several attendees spoke favorably about the new infrastructure on the West Seattle side. One commenter asked if there were plans to provide parking near the West Seattle dock – Myers responded that it’s a “City of Seattle issue” and Drago expressed doubt because park-and-rides are not favored by the City of Seattle. Another attendee said, “The new dock is nice, but needs a cover so we don’t get soaked.” Other commenters suggested that the shuttles serving the dock be more distinctly marked (“give them names,” and “have fun with them!”), should run their loop in the alternate direction rather than just one (so people who live in the other direction don’t have to “ride all the way around”), and should be wary of other beach traffic and “not block other cars.” Myers asked if riders would support “advertising wraps” on shuttles (like Metro buses), and most attendees said “no” – it was also noted that the boats themselves do not currently have onboard advertising (though they did in previous years), but that could be changing.
(WSB photo from April)
NEW BOAT: A few attendees mentioned that although they like the West Seattle route’s new boat, the Rachel Marie, the vessel seems much louder. Davis responded that his office has heard these complaints, and in recent weeks have been experimenting with lower speeds during non-peak times (which tourist traffic is higher) to reduce noise. There is obvious hesitation to reduce speeds for all peak-commute routes (where timeliness is most crucial), but his office will continue to examine it. Another attendee felt that the boat lacked “outdoor deck space,” while other attendees pointed out that the boat does have a deck although it is “smaller, and in the back.” One attendee asked who owned the boats, and Davis clarified that they are owned by Four Seasons Marine, leased by the county.
FARE CHANGES: One commenter suggested that the ferry district “reinstate the transfer” that in previous years had encouraged “quick shoppers” by offering a significant fare discount if they took their return trip within 2 hours of their arrival. The presenters discussed this and agreed that the idea is a good one, and noted that ORCA card holders do currently get a similar discount. Another attendee noted that the “senior citizens gold card” discount went away this year (no longer free), and another asked about reduced fares for youth groups — Davis said he would look into the former, and could be contacted regarding “group fare discounts” for the latter. Several attendees mentioned the overall fare increases from 2009 to 2010, encouraging the district to always strongly consider the potential impact on ridership before raising prices.
ANTI-THEFT MEASURES: One attendee asked if the ferry district was “going to get its
$7500 back,” in reference to the recent arrest of an ex-employee charged with stealing fare boxes. Davis acknowledged that the theft had “hit us hard” and recapped that the employee was fired, arrested and jailed. New measures implemented since the theft include: Restricting how many employees have combinations to the safe, regular fare inventories, requiring two “signatures” to get into the safes, and management audits with Loomis (armored car service) currently twice a week. Additional measures are also under consideration.
THREE TIMES THE COST? One attendee asked the presenters to comment on the recent TV report that claimed the county is paying more to run the Water Taxi than it would cost to pay Argosy to run it. Myers called the comparison inaccurate, noting that the figures cited for Argosy do not include full operating costs, while the ferry district’s numbers do. He emphasized that the ferry district’s model is “saving a lot of money” versus the previous model in which the state of Washington ran the Seattle-Vashon service. Another attendee also questioned the district’s figures, but all three presenters reiterated and explained their accuracy.
FINDING THE MONEY TO KEEP IT GOING YEAR-ROUND: Drago said “the ferry district is not universally popular on King County Council,” and made reference to the 2009-to-2010 reduction in funding – the ferry district was previously authorized to charge 5.5 cents per $1000 of assessed property value in King County. But in the face of some opposition, that amount was dramatically reduced, which has deeply impacted ferry funding. Drago’s hope is that “if we can add just another third of a cent back,” the district could move closer to its goal of providing year-round service. Drago also assured attendees that she fully understands that many riders view the service as essential because of growing transportation concerns (South Park bridge closure, SoDo construction, viaduct rebuild) which are “only going to get worse.”
LATE-NIGHT ROUTES: In response to a question about evening routes, Davis reiterated that the Water Taxi will operate on an extended late-night schedule on weekday evenings when there are Mariners, Sounders, or Seahawks games. One commenter mentioned that he had an issue traveling home on Memorial Day (Monday) after a downtown sporting event, and Davis acknowledged the error and assured that it had been addressed.
NOT JUST FOR TOURISTS AND COMMUTERS: A couple who identified themselves as “retired, but big fans of the water taxi” urged the presenters not to assume that all taxi riders fall into the two buckets of “commuter” and “tourist.” For downtown visits involving things like “jury duty and shopping” at non-peak hours, the taxi still provides a valuable service, they said – and the presenters agreed.
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