Legislators throw a life ring to Washington's 'other' ferries
Legislative budget writers in Olympia laid out proposals this week for how to keep plans afloat to launch electric ferry boats on Puget Sound.
But the increased state aid for Skagit County, Kitsap Transit and Washington State Ferries comes with a major catch: the promised money vanishes if voters repeal the state’s cap-and-trade program in November.
At stake in Skagit County is a project to replace the aging Guemes Island ferry with a larger, all-electric boat. Last month, the county commission rejected the bids to construct the new battery-powered ferry after all the bids exceeded the project budget. The county quickly submitted a request to the Legislature for an additional $12 million, which was met favorably in the state House, but not in the Senate this week.
Kitsap Transit is trying to advance its preliminary design for a 150-passenger, battery-powered hydrofoil ferry for the Seattle-Bremerton run. North Puget Sound shipyards could be contenders to assemble that novel vessel. Washington’s governor and lawmakers blessed the hydrofoil plans with $4 million to get the ferry design finalized with Coast Guard approval and to build shoreside charging infrastructure.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/02/22/legislators-throw-a-life-ring-to-washingtons-other-ferries/
