On Monday, May 20th, Skagit County Public Works held a meeting at the Guemes Community Center to discuss the upcoming move to electronic ferry ticketing. Instead of buying ferry tickets while in line for the ferry, ferry users will soon need to purchase tickets online or use the ferry terminal’s ticket office.
Attending the meeting were Captain Rachel Rowe, Ferry Division Manager, Jess Boffey, Project Manager, Tom Weller, Public Works Engineer, Grace Kane, Public Works Director, and Jenn Rogers, Communication Manager. Several commissioners were there, as well as two law enforcement officers. The meeting was also available on Zoom for those unable to attend in person, although sound for those attending online required that speakers forego the microphone so they could stand closer to Jenn Rogers, who was facilitating zoom attendance on her computer.
The meeting was standing room only, with many islanders eager to hear and ask questions. Grace requested that in the interest of limited time, all questions be held until the end of the meeting when there would be an open Q & A period for both live attendees and those on zoom.
The meeting opened with an overview of progress (or lack thereof) from Tom Weller on the building of the electric ferry. Funds have been approved and a request for bids was posted. However, the two bids that did come in exceeded the County’s budget of $19.5 to $22 million.
In addition, $12 million in funding which was granted via the Climate Committee Act (CCA), which uses funds from corporate polluters to pay for investments in clean energy, is at risk of being rescinded. Initiative 2117, which would repeal CCA, is scheduled for November’s ballot. Should that pass, CCA funding will no longer be available. Please keep that in mind when you receive your ballot.
Included in the discussion about the new ferry was information regarding restructuring the ferry holding line to increase line capacity on 6th Avenue, as well as potential changes to the parking areas. Tom stated that despite concerns, there will be no changes to handicap parking spaces. There are plans to create a public pathway from the large parking lot/small lot to the ferry terminal. The county is also hoping to address parking lot issues such as public safety and abandoned vehicles and mentioned the possibility of third-party involvement in those areas, which could involve a private security company.
Nearly all the audience was there to learn about the electronic ticketing system.
Captain Rachel Rowe opened the presentation on the online ticketing system by saying the program’s launch has been delayed from the original June 6th date because the payment processing system is not ready.
She mentioned they had received feedback from the Beta testing program currently in progress, but did not elaborate on what the feedback was.
Online ticketing is meant to improve accuracy and accountability, which in turn will help make the ferry program eligible for additional funds. Rachel also mentioned that county ferries are now eligible for reimbursement from the state for children under 18 who ride free, adding additional funds to their budget. The Anchor program costs $84,000 for the first year, then 7% of fare revenue every year thereafter.
Via Zoom, Jess Boffey gave a presentation on using the website to purchase tickets, which will also be available via the new mobile phone app, using credit or debit cards.
Tickets can also be purchased in person from a ferry worker at the ticket booth in the ferry terminal, however, those who want to purchase a car and driver ticket onsite will need to either leave their car in line and walk to the terminal’s ticket booth or park in one of the five-minute parking spaces, go into the terminal to purchase their ticket, then drive back to get in line. This could be challenging for those with mobility issues, who have been able to wait in their car to purchase tickets.
Multiple ride passes will still be available for purchase. Unlike previously, when if you lost your punch card you were out of luck, the electronic ticketing system will have a record of your purchase, as well as how many rides are left, so the new passes can be easily replaced. Multi-ride passes can also be shared. Single tickets can be purchased in advance (but don’t have to be) and will be good for 7 days from purchase. Although those under 18 will still ride for free, they will be required to have a ticket to board.
Further instructions can be found at https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/PublicWorksFerry
Tickets will not be available on the site until the program is launched at a future date.
Following the Public Works presentation, the audience was invited to ask questions. These covered everything from what ADA provisions have been made, whether the department had considered an option similar to the ORCA card, to the yearly cost of the Anchor system, to why an expiration date is necessary on multiple ride passes. There was not nearly enough time for everyone who had a question to get to speak, but it seemed clear that there are still a lot of issues to be addressed before this system will be able to run smoothly.
For those who did not attend, either in person or online, the answers to these questions, along with others I’ve asked Rachel Rowe and her department, will be posted in a follow up to this article. You can also contact her office directly at 360-293-6433.
– Betsy Passarelli