Port Ludlow man seeks to rally support online for continued Port Townsend-Seattle foot ferry
By Jeff Chew, Peninsula Daily News
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"The message to Clallam County and to the West is here is an opportunity for Port Townsend to be the gateway instead of congested Bainbridge or Kitsap County," said Kyle Montgomery, a Port Ludlow resident who has been commuting for 10 years to Seattle via the Bainbridge ferry.
Montgomery is heading up the campaign team for Seattle2PT.com, rallying people in King, Jefferson and Clallam counties to volunteer promoting the Web site for support and encouraging people to use the 149-passenger ferry MV Snohomish while it is available through Jan. 6.
Washington State University Team Jefferson, the community and economic development team, has given Seattle2PT.com its endorsement for the information gathering efforts.
Seattle2PT.com was recently launched in support of the new passenger-only service between Port Townsend and Pier 50 at Colman Dock in downtown Seattle.
Connection point
The site is intended is to provide a place for people who want the passenger-only service to connect with each other, unify and send a clear message to the Washington State Ferries and the state that the passenger-only Port Townsend-Seattle run must be kept.
The extra passenger ferry service to and from Seattle was begun after the Whidbey Island car ferry route was closed Nov. 20.
The last of the state's four aging Steel Electric ferries - the oldest in the nation still in use on saltwater routes - were withdrawn from service and retired because of rust and corrosion.
The Web site offers relevant news, an online petition, a blog, a place to share your story about the passenger-only ferry and a place to connect with other ferry riders.
The site also provides a video clip of what can be found inside the Snohomish.
To sign the petition, visit www.seattle2pt.com. E-mail can be sent to the site at info@seattle2pt.com.
Montgomery can be contacted by phone at 360-643-0566.
"We are extremely excited by the feedback that has been pouring in. It has been noted that people as far away as Alaska and Minnesota have left comments," Montgomery said.
"Having WSU Team Jefferson on our side will definitely help us further achieve the visibility we had hoped for."
'Sign stations'
For those without computer access, "sign stations" are being placed at retail businesses in Jefferson County to gather signatures.
The Bayview Restaurant, 1539 Water St., Badd Habit, 1005 Lawrence St. Evergreen Fitness, 22 Tahlequah Road and Earthenworks, 702 Water St., all in Port Townsend, have petition-signing stations available through Jan. 6.
Other petition-signing stations will be set up around the county, Montgomery said.
Montgomery, 29, who has been in the information technology industry since he was 15, said the Web site was his first reaction.
"Putting a Web page together to get a message doesn't take me long to do," he said.
"I'm kind of the voice of the next generation of Jefferson County. We represent a big part of the voice of Jefferson County that's not being heard."
He has been routinely taking the Snohomish to Seattle and will do so until service shuts down.
Commuting to Bainbridge to park and ride the ferry to Seattle has cost him $27 a day, but he is forced to work on the other side of Puget Sound.
"I want to raise my family in the community here, but I want to pay the bills," he said.
"You either bring jobs here or provide transit to those who need it for jobs outside the area."
Making it happen
When Gov. Chris Gregoire and state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond launched the Snohomish for the temporary run from Port Townsend to Seattle, "we just said, 'Wow, how can we make this happen?'" he said.
"We're trying to make bridges here [with state ferries] instead of tearing them down."
The service was added Dec. 13 to help Port Townsend retailers through the holiday season. Ferries officials have said any continuation must come from the Legislature, which doesn't convene for its 2008 session until Jan. 14.
When the service ends Jan. 6, Montgomery said he plans to present the petition and signatures to state leaders.
While the Snohomish sucks up 2,400 gallons of costly fuel a day, Montgomery suggests that other more fuel-efficient options be considered.
"Maybe this boat isn't the particular option that we want to go with, but let's keep the options open and keeping talking about it," he said.
Web site visitors have written that a fast ferry also would open access to colleges, medical appointments and cultural events in Seattle while improve tourist access to Port Townsend.
Some have suggested a more economical boat than the Snohomish, which costs abut $13,700 to operate, including $8,000 for fuel.
The state, however, is getting out of the passenger ferry business.
Last passenger service
King County is taking over the state's last passenger-only route, which links Seattle and Vashon Island.
One possibility for a public-private partnership to maintain service to Port Townsend, Montgomery and Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce General Manager Tim Caldwell said, is joining forces with organizers in Kingston who want a passenger-only link to downtown Seattle for weekday commuters.
The same vessel, they suggest, could be used for weekend service to Port Townsend, something Caldwell and the Chamber of Commerce have been advocating for years.
"It would give us at least 52 opportunities a year to have service," Caldwell said.
"If a boat's underutilized on weekends, we could sell that niche. We certainly have some very good demonstration data that says this boat does work."
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: December 25. 2007 9:00PM