What it means when the governor said 'a major transportation package'

Photo: WSDOT

Gov. Chris Gregoire made news today by proposing a "major transportation package." (Here's the story: Gregoire to propose major transportation package)

What does that mean?

Let's translate that from Olympia speak to English.

Budgets -- There's a transportation budget every year, but that's different. With the usual budget, you basically keep things moving: fixing highways, running the ferries, funding the State Patrol.

Package -- A "major transportation package" is different, and doesn't happen often. The last one was in 2005, and what it does is fund all kinds of projects, big and small, that the regular transportation budget couldn't fund.

Here's what the 2005 "Nickel Package" funded and how the construction work is ramping up and ramping down.

Folks in Olympia call this The Mt. Rainier Slide, because it shows how the Nickel Package cranked up construction jobs, peaked around 2011 to 2013, then slide down back to normal.

Gov. Gregoire is making a simple point: the state population is growing, and more people are driving on the highways and using ferries, buses and trains. Unless we make plans now to get new projects rolling, there's nothing really in the pipeline after these current projects get finished, and that would mean more traffic gridlock.

Read this story in Spanish here.

Two new 144-car ferries coming soon to a waterway near you!

Photo credit: WSDOT

Two new ferries will be added to Washington’s state ferry fleet thanks to funding provided by the Legislature this past session. Construction on the first 144-car ferry began this month and the second is scheduled to begin construction in December, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced yesterday.

The two new ferries will be replacing two vessels in the Evergreen State class. Originally built in 1954, Evergreen State ferries are some of the oldest ferries still in use today – and it’s high time for Washington to upgrade!

Did I mention the construction process will create about 500 family-wage jobs in Washington shipyards?

Some of the other project benefits include:

• Increased passenger safety – better heating and ventilation; more seating
• Improved vessel design – room for more cars/trucks; improved passenger access to vehicles
• Improved ADA access – two compliant ADA elevators and wider stair towers with a more gradual slope
• Minimized environmental impact – cleaner burning engines; low-emissions fuels; wake-reducing hull; and quieter machinery

With the largest ferry fleet in the United States, Washington State Ferries operates 23 vessels across the Puget Sound and its waterways. Carrying over 23 million passengers, the state ferry system acts as a marine highway for everyone from commercial users to daily commuters to tourists.

The first new ferry is expected to be in operation by early 2014 and the second by early 2015.

To read this post in Spanish, click here.

Moving Washington Forward budget advances!

Investing in transportation infrastructure not only fuels thousands of jobs statewide, it also helps to avoid expensive delays in work that needs to be done. The supplemental budget the House just passed creates or sustains 43,000 jobs over the next biennium.

In the face of declining receipts from gas taxes and other transportation revenue streams, the Connect Washington Task Force recently predicted Washington would need roughly $21 billion over the next decade just to preserve the system and make strategic investments in the transportation backbone of our economy.

The $9.8 billion budget adds about $876 million to the two-year budget enacted last year. While Moving Washington Forward is not the long-term answer to financial challenges identified by Connect Washington, it will provide the short-term means to…well, to continue moving Washington forward.

In addition to investing in roads and highways at the state and local level, the supplemental budget invests funds to keep the ferry system afloat and fund a second 144-car ferry. There are also important investments in transit, freight mobility, the Washington State Patrol and Washington’s highly successful Safe Routes to Schools program.

Photo credit: WestSeattleBlog.com

The Moving Washington Forward budget also looks to the future with $33 million in seed money for projects such as fixing I-5 congestion in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord area. The seed money will enable shovels to hit the ground quickly once future revenue sources for major projects have been agreed upon.

All told, the Moving Washington Forward budget that House Transportation Chair Judy Clibborn led through the House will mean more jobs today, more jobs tomorrow, and a good start on solving transportation problems in every corner of the state.

To read this post in Spanish, click here.

For some Washington schools, good nutrition pays off. Literally.

By all accounts America is getting heavier and our state is not the exception. Want proof? Just today the AP reported that our ferries are adjusting their capacity guidelines due to the fact that we’re getting bigger.  
 
Obesity is a problem, but so is the other end of the spectrum and, unfortunately, too many kids in America are either too heavy or too thin.
 
But here in Washington we’re doing something about it and our efforts have not gone unnoticed. Want proof?  The Healthier US School Challenge recently awarded 21 of our schools in five school districts (Camas, Battle Ground, Highline, Hockinson and Marysville) cash incentive awards based on how they:

• Improve nutritional quality in food 
• Provide nutrition education  
• Provide physical education and opportunities for physical activity

For details on what the awards entail and to see if your school made the cut, read the press release by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction here.

To read this story in Spanish, click here.

You might call it the “See Willy” project

Look for these signs on Washington's ferries

Well, OK: Keiko, the killer whale who starred in the original "Free Willy" movie, is no longer with us, but fellow members of his orca species swim in the waters of Puget Sound – and the Washington State Ferries are making it easier for passengers to identify orcas and other marine mammals spotted on trips across the water.

In conjunction with The Whale Trail, a nonprofit organization, the state ferry system is posting signs on board its vessels and in ferry terminals that depict and describe the orca, the gray whale, the Dall's porpoise and the California sea lion, as well as some other species. It's a mobile extension of the organization's existing network of onshore marine mammal viewing sites scattered around Puget Sound.
 
The Whale Trail aims to build public appreciation for marine mammals to encourage stewardship of their habitat. To learn more about the ferry sign project, click here.

Newest ferry sets sail today

Washington’s newest ferry, the beautiful 64-car Salish, takes to the seas at noon today to begin decades of service to the people of Washington. The historic trip comes a day after a joyous celebration at the Port Townsend Ferry Terminal welcomed the Salish to the state ferry fleet.

House Transportation Chair Judy Clibborn and 24th District Reps. Steve http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifTharinger and Kevin Van De Wege were among the leaders who spoke about the importance of the Sahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflish and our state ferries at the welcoming ceremony, which also featured songs and dances by local Native American performing artists.

The Salish and its sister, the Chetzemoka, will serve the Port Townsend/Coupeville route, and today’s sailing marks the first time since 2007 that two ferries have been available to provide full service the route.

This summer marks the 60th anniversary of the Washington State Ferry System, the largest ferry fleet in the nation. There will soon be more celebrations. Another 64-car boat, the Kennewick, will enter service in early 2012, and, thanks in large measure to Rep. Clibborn’s leadership, funding was secured this year for a new 144-car boat that will add another jewel to the fleet.

Ferry system changes to fund new boat, reform management

"Old reliable" can apply to a lot of things, but the state would rather not go there with their ferry-boat fleet. Currently nine of the 22 auto-passenger ferries are between 40 and 65 years old. While these older ferries continue to be workhorses, all nine need to be replaced in the next 20 years.

On Tuesday the governor signed legislation to fund the final ferry in a five-boat replacement plan. A 144-car and three 64-car ferries were already funded, and with this legislation, funding is secured for a second 144-car ferry.

The funding for the ferry system comes from reducing costs and increasing revenue. Beginning in July 2013, the state retail and use tax will no longer be charged on fuel used in ferries, and a new 25-cent charged to fund ferry construction.

"Our aging ferry boats are an ongoing liability to reliable service and safety,” said Rep. Jeff Morris. “This is a good balance to get new boats in the pipeline while also reducing costs.”

The bill also redefines the roles of captains to increase their responsibility for management of the boats and crews.

Read more: Washington State Ferry Projects

Rep. Morris ferry accountability bill passes key hurdle in the House

After weeks of negotiations, the House Transportation committee moved out a proposal by Rep. Jeff Morris that shakes up the Washington Ferry System.

Morris worked with stakeholders, ferry management, and his fellow lawmakers to craft an amended version of his original bill, requiring WSF to meet certain performance targets or find themselves under new private management.

“It’s time to try something new,” Morris said. “We can either push management to realize some cost-savings, we can raise prices, or we can reduce service. Those are our choices.”

Morris’ bill sets timelines for meeting performance goals. If those aren’t met, then the public management team will be replaced with a private contractor. However, the bill, HB 1516, would not affect any collective bargaining rights or agreements for ferry workers serving on the vessels or ports.

The proposal still has a few hurdles to clear before becoming law but Morris is hopeful. “My colleagues in the Legislature are beginning to see what I’ve known for a long time,” added Morris. “Administrations at WSF have come and gone, but the culture of poor oversight and accountability has remained the same. Until they get a handle on it, we’ll continue to struggle with new vessel purchases and workforce issues.”

For more information on HB 1516, click here.

Ferries: Package of bills to reform bargaining, management practices

Building upon the workforce reforms passed at the end of the 2010 session, transportation leaders are intensifying efforts to turn around the budget-challenged Washington State Ferries (WSF). Today a bipartisan group of transportation leaders in both the House and Senate announced a package of bills designed to improve efficiency, reduce waste and establish parity with other state employee contracts.

A bill sponsored by Reps. Judy Clibborn and Mike Armstrong deals with fairness in bargaining, preventing certain collective bargaining provisions for ferry employees from being greater than those provided to other general government employees. Examples include overtime pay, length of workday, use of compensatory time and free passage on ferries, among other things.

Rep. Jeff Morris is introducing a bill to promote better performance and accountability among certain managers at WSF. If certain performance measures are not met, the management may be contracted out to a private operator.

Armstrong and Clibborn have also teamed up on a bill that would find operational efficiencies by acting on recommendations put forth by the Legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee’s recent studies.

To read more, click here for the press release.

Clibborn sheds light on ferry problems, recent progress

The state’s ferry system has generated quite a few headlines recently—the governor last week floated the idea of privatization, and news outlets have focused a spotlight on overtime policies and other operational practices. Rep. Judy Clibborn (Mercer Island) has weighed in with her thoughts on these issues, along with an account of successive ferry reforms over the past several years.

“… it’s clear that good judgment and fiscal responsibility were thrown overboard in some instances,” Clibborn writes about some of Washington State Ferries’ (WSF) overtime, travel and special-projects policies. She continues, “State employees serve in the public’s interest and have a special obligation to use taxpayer dollars in thoughtful, efficient ways as they deliver services.”

Clibborn notes that WSF has had a troubled past, which the Legislature has worked to remedy with a series of reforms since 2007. “The Legislature has taken corrective action and will continue to demand accountability with the public’s dollars,” she writes. Recent progress includes cost-savings and efficiencies to the tune of $35 million annually, and the construction of three new, much-needed ferries. And in recent months, WSF itself has put a stop to questionable overtime and mileage/travel practices.

Clibborn believes in the leadership team at WSF and the achievements of recent reforms but adds that “… our reform work must continue.”

For more information about ferry reforms, click here for Clibborn’s 2010 bill and here for a comprehensive, long-range plan by WSF created at the direction of the Legislature.

How do we pay for it?

That perennial question forms the basis for much of what is being discussed today in Seattle by the Joint Transportation Committee.

Continuing a busy summer of meetings, JTC will spend time addressing alternative transportation funding methods. As vehicles become more fuel efficient and people cut back on driving, the fuel tax that funds most of Washington’s transportation projects isn’t going as far as it used to. The JTC is looking into how the state can best continue funding transportation projects as we move into a new era.

Also on the agenda for today’s meeting is ferry funding. Washington State Ferries will present its final long-range plan, which is the result of three years of intensive study and discussion. The committee will also discuss ferry fares (including, probably, yesterday’s news that the Transportation Commission rejected a proposed summer surcharge).

Stay tuned to JTC’s meetings page to read the agenda and other materials.

House leaders roll out unprecedented investment in transportation

The week of budgets has begun in the House, as members of the Transportation Committee just announced the proposed 2009-11 transportation budget—and the news is good.

Chair Judy Clibborn unveiled her budget alongside Vice Chair Marko Liias and Rep. Christine Rolfes, outlining the state’s $7.5 billion transportation investment over the next two years, $4.6 billion of which will go toward the construction of more than 400 projects.

With this budget and the $341 million in federal stimulus money already appropriated this session, transportation leaders estimate roughly 49,000 jobs will be created, at a time when the economy needs it.

Budget highlights include keeping the mega-projects on track, building five new ferry vessels, moving forward the 2003 ‘Nickel’ and 2005 Transportation Partnership projects and making investments in alternative transportation and green initiatives.

Despite the slowing economy, budget writers identified areas for substantial savings in order to move forward with this unprecedented investment. Savings include operational efficiencies at the state’s transportation agencies and scaled-back ferry terminal improvements, among others.

For more information, check out the proposed budget or budget summary.

Large rally on campus to support ferry system

The group gathered on the steps to the Capitol around noon:

Several House members attended, including Larry Seaquist, Christine Rolfes, Judy Clibborn, Sharon Nelson and Eileen Cody.

Steven Gardner over at the Kitsap Sun has on-going coverage at his blog: Kitsap Caucus

State Rep. Jeff Morris to meet with Sidney mayor, hash out ferry compromise

State Rep. Jeff Morris will head to Sidney, B.C., tomorrow in an effort to implore city officials there to approve a compromise deal with Washington State Ferries (WSF) over current lease rates at their terminal.

The high lease rate at the Sidney ferry terminal is a major factor in WSF’s decision to propose the elimination of the Anacortes-Sidney run. Morris believes an agreement with Sidney officials would go a long way in showing a good faith effort to reach an agreement and save the run. “I know Sidney was frustrated with WSF in getting a lease deal done but the current deal is just not going to work if we want to continue this run.”

In order to save the Anacortes-Sidney run, Morris will be fighting the battle on two fronts: Negotiating a more equitable lease rate with the Sidney city government, and fighting back WSF’s proposal to eliminate the run as a cost-cutting effort.

Added Morris, “I’m hopeful the Mayor and city officials of Sidney will be receptive to revisiting the lease deal and work with us to save a vital link between our two countries. We need actual evidence of a partnership. Talk will not secure a future for this run.”

Seaquist on the ferry system and Plan C

State Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor, agrees with most of the Washington State Ferry system's users--proposed plans A and B won't work for anyone.

Seaquist takes a minute to talk about the situation and what Plan C might be:


For more information you can contact Seaquist through his website.

Last night's ferries meeting

Yesterday evening’s ferry-focused Transportation Committee meeting drew quite a crowd. Not only did Washington State Ferries (WSF) present its much-anticipated long-range ferry plan, but the committee also held a public hearing on two high-profile ferry bills. More than 20 people arrived to testify, including many representatives from ship-building companies around the Puget Sound.

One of the ferry bills, HB 1652, would remove a requirement that Washington state ferries be constructed in state. Sponsored by Rep. Christine Rolfes, the bill has bi-partisan support and it comes at the same time as WSF finalizes a long-range ferries plan that suggests ways to put the system back on sound footing. WSF has struggled to maintain its vessels and service levels since a major source of funding, the state motor vehicle excise tax, was eliminated in 1999.

During her presentation of the long-range ferry plan, Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond noted that during the state’s two most recent ferry vessel procurement periods, only one bid came in each time.

Some people point to this as evidence that opening up construction competition to out-of-state bidders would result in cost savings to taxpayers. But shipbuilding representatives counter that out-of-state building brings its own additional costs in terms of transporting the vessel back to Puget Sound, loss of tax benefits to the state, and loss of the in-state economic “multiplier effect” that construction provides.

Monday’s meeting was just the first of many high-profile ferry meetings to come this session.

It's a very ferry day

If you’re into ferry issues, today is your day.

We already heard from Governor Gregoire this morning that five unions representing more than 1,000 state ferry workers have agreed to halt worker raises, a move that will save $18 million and help prevent layoffs.

And in this afternoon’s House Transportation Committee, legislators will focus on a couple of interesting ferry construction issues including the idea of allowing out-of-state builders to construct ferries. TVW is scheduled to air the committee hearing live, so tune in or watch online at www.tvw.org.

3:30pm in Transportation
Public Hearing:
HB 1209 – Providing funding for passenger-only ferry construction.
HB 1652 – Eliminating a requirement that certain ferry vessels be constructed within the boundaries of the state of Washington.