(The seven size/shape options that represent the nine alternatives)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Nine possible sizes and shapes for Fauntleroy’s new ferry dock were shown by Washington State Ferries when it convened the project’s Community Advisory Group last night for the first time since Septtember 2022.
Since then, WSF has extended the timeline for the project by two years. And ferry-system leaders said they expect to have to ask the State Legislature for more money, no matter which option is chosen.
In addition to reviewing the nine possibilities, group members also picked up on some new factors in the discussion. For example, they noted that WSF managers brought Captain’s Park into it for the first time – that’s the tall-tree-dotted lookout spot atop the embankment immediately across lower Fauntleroy Way from the dock entrance. After a followup question from advisory-group member Judy Pickens of Fauntleroy, WSF’s David Sowers said that if it were determined that Fauntleroy Way needed an extra lane for smoother traffic flow, they’d have to cut into the bluff. “Not something we want to do but something our consultant brought up.” Pickens warned it would surface a multitude of issues, including archaelogical considerations.
But let’s get back to those alternatives. First, here’s what they ruled out in the first two levels of screening possibilities:
And here are the basics for the two concepts they settled on:
Note that slide says “same size.” Reviewing the nine options, advisory-group member Frank Immel of Fauntleroy observed that the first three are described instead as “similar size,” and would be at least 18 feet wider than the current dock. Design-team manager Edd Thomas attributed that to “design standards” including lane width on the dock, plus the addition of bike lanes and a motorcycle staging lane. So, starting with the “similar size” Alternative A and its two ticketing variations, here are the options – note that 124 cars is something of a magic number because that’s the capacity of the Issaquah-class ferries serving the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route:
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(See color renderings in the full slide deck.) Here are characteristics that all those options have in common:
This meeting wasn’t to settle on one of them – in fact, the Community Advisory Group members were also asked for feedback on the proposed criteria that WSF staff will udr to screen them. But they did have questions. One that came up multiple times was whether the dock can remain somehow partly in service during construction, or whether all boats will have to be diverted. Sowers said that hadn’t been decided yet. Was overhead passenger loading under consideration? They still need to “study” it. What about a second slip? Sowers said that can’t be “completely ruled out” but it would cost at least $40 million more than they have in the budget – a budget that they expect will ultimately be inadequate anyway, requiring a request to the Legislature for more money just to build the basics.
Another question – why are two “A” options the only ones that might incorporate either Good To Go or “advanced” ticketing, which had been discussed extensively at previous meetings as possible ways to speed up loading and avoid backups on Fauntleroy Way? The reply was that they only considered using them to get more “bang for the buck” if the smallest size was chosen.
And in addition to the question mentioned earlier about Captain’s Park, concerns also surfaced about Cove Park. WSF had previously scrapped the idea of over-land dock widening, particularly because of possible effects on that beloved, community-stewarded beach immediately north of the dock. Yes, there’s likely to be “some effects,” WSF’s environmental lead Marsha Tolon acknowledged. She also spoke to another environmental factor – how the project could affect eelgrass in the cove.
The online meeting (Friday morning update: see the video here) wrapped up after two hours; WSF promised to bring the group together again after a much-shorter time, “early next year.” After that, they’d likely have community meetings. A preferred alternative is to be chosen by 2025, with construction starting by 2027.
FEEDBACK: If you have something to tell the WSF project team, FauntleroyTermProj@wsdot.wa.gov is the email address to use.
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