12 Replies to "FIXING FERRIES: Triangle Improvement Task Force's first meeting next Monday in Fauntleroy"

• ArborHeightsRes January 25, 2017 (7:48 pm)

  I find it interesting that the ferry riders have 6 total representatives, while the Fauntleroy neighborhood is allowed only 3.  Does this mean that the neighborhood that is impacted by ferry commuters will get steamrolled by the ferry commuters? Obviously WSF is staking the deck in their favor so that the terminal will stay in Fauntleroy instead of being moved downtown where it belongs.

  • Steve January 25, 2017 (11:13 pm)

    It “belongs” exactly where it is!  Move if you don’t like it.

• s January 26, 2017 (9:21 am)

  I agree with Steve! There were 3,059,504 total riders on the triangle ferry route last year. Hundreds of West Seattle students commute to Vashon for school daily.  How many Fauntleroy residents oppose the ferry? You’ll need a lot more ferry representatives if you want a representative ratio for the meeting.

• PC January 26, 2017 (1:21 pm)

  3 million “riders” doesn’t mean 3 million different people. It does mean a whole lot of vehicular traffic passing through West Seattle not just Fauntleroy. After 30 years in West Seattle it is pretty easy to spot the commuters (probably Steve) bombing down Fauntleroy Way in the afternoons trying to make the cue. School kids could take a foot ferry and let the commuters get dropped off downtown. If they don’t like it, move to this side. 

  • s January 26, 2017 (4:20 pm)

    Whatever way you do the math, 3 million riders is a lot more than the handful of people who oppose the dock. Sorry to break it to you but the roads are not just for you. If you don’t like density, Kitsap County has some nice quiet rural places to move to. I live in West Seattle by the way.

    *

    One bit of good news for you however is that there will soon be a foot ferry between Southworth and downtown Seattle. That should reduce traffic somewhat, so don’t move to Kitsap just yet.

• ArborHeightsRes January 26, 2017 (4:03 pm)

  The traffic from the ferry is rarely staying in West Seattle. And the motorcycle riders are going much faster than the posted speed limit in the morning (I have been passed while I was speeding). The ferry is not there to be a bus to take kids to the  schools in Vashon. If you don’t like the Seattle Public Schools, then put your child into one of the many private schools in West Seattle.  I only believe the residents of West Seattle should have 6 representatives in order to match the total of 6 that will represent the ferry riders. As PC said, the Vashon and Southworth riders can always move to this side if the  car ferry is heading to downtown. 

  • s January 26, 2017 (5:39 pm)

    I live on Fauntleroy Way. The traffic from Arbor Heights is
    rarely staying in Fauntleroy. And the Arbor Heights guy was speeding. Fauntleroy
    Way is not there to take Arbor Heights residents to the Junction. If Arbor
    Heights residents don’t like Arbor Heights stores, then they should go to some of
    the other stores closer to Arbor Heights. I believe we should have a commission
    with 6 representatives from people who live on Fauntleroy Way and 6 representatives
    from people who live everywhere else. As PC said, Arbor Heights residents can
    always move to the Junction.

• Canton January 26, 2017 (6:43 pm)

  The ferry has been here long before(1925) most current residents. Guessing most knew about it when they moved here. There are plenty of other Seattle neighborhoods with no ferry.

• PC January 27, 2017 (2:31 pm)

  Not sure what conditions in 1925 have to do with today.  I honestly dont have anything against the ferry riders. Must confess to poking bee’s nests as a kid.  I do think we need to be constantly looking at our traffic patterns everywhere in the Puget Sound area for now and the future.  On this subject area, anyone who has lived in West Seattle for long has seen the density go bonkers and the reflection of that is bridge traffic.  I would be interesting to know where the ferry traffic is heading.  Do they benefit from sitting on the bridge in the mornings?  Would there be an advantage to going downtown where the I-90 I-5 access is closer?  As a city we seem to be getting closer to solving some of the congestion issues we have(more light rail etc.) I hope the Ferry triangle gets a serious objective look at how it integrates into the rest of the system for the future.

• CherylR January 30, 2017 (10:47 am)

  There are over 180 students using that ferry at Fauntleroy to commute to Vashon for school DAILY. There are thousands of Vashon islanders, and Kitsap Peninsula residents commuting into the city DAILY for work. AND… there are thousands of NON-islanders and NON-peninsula dwellers using that route to get to/from their vacation destinations, or seeing family/friends, etc. on a weekly, if not daily basis.

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  To say that Fauntleroy neighborhood should have a bigger say is ridiculous. I was a resident of Fauntlee Hills for 6 years, and while I agree that the mess along Fauntleroy during peak commuter times (and during the summer) is a nightmare, I also know that those of us who actually need those boats to get around should have at least an equal (if not a bigger) voice. Because, WE are the ones using the actual boats and WE are the ones sitting in those long lines, and WE are the ones funding the WSF system with our ridership.

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  The reality is that fewer and fewer people can afford to live in Seattle proper, but still need to go there for work. Unless you have a realistic and financially feasible solution for THAT issue? Just saying Vashon school students who are non-Vashon residents should go to “private schools” if they are unhappy with Seattle Public Schools is insensitive at best. I was lucky enough to move to Vashon so that my daughter could attend the schools here, without commuting. But not everyone can feasibly do that either. All this NIMBY-ism is really counter-productive. The ferry dock has been there for almost a hundred years (100!), to complain about what’s happening with traffic around that dock now isn’t helpful. People built their homes around that dock, and the whole city has grown exponentially since then. Growth isn’t going to be stopped, nor is the horrendous traffic situation in West Seattle, just by moving the dock to DT Seattle. Good luck with that!

• Jennifer January 30, 2017 (2:07 pm)

  I live on Vashon and my office is in West Seattle. It would be HUGELY disappointing if we were rerouted to Downtown. I’m trying to avoid ever going to Downtown. I won’t be able to attend the meeting on such short notice, but if anyone else is going–please note that not all of us Vashon residents commute to DT. 

• K'lo January 30, 2017 (6:39 pm)

  It will be interesting to see/hear what these meetings bring about. I live in WS and worked at the Fauntleroy Terminal for 35+ years. My application to be on this task force and possibly impart some insight into how to make the triangle work a little better,  was not accepted by WSF. So, perhaps WSF is just doing these ‘meetings’ to pacify the riders and residents of Fauntleroy with – we tried and nothing came of it. WSF has worked with the Ferry Advisory Committee for years, and has yet to implement any of the stong, good ideas that have been suggested. I wish this task force the best of luck! 

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