Port Ludlow ferry advocate makes case before Chamber of Commerce
By Jeff Chew, Peninsula Daily News
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Caldwell wants to see passenger ferry service between Port Ludlow and Kingston while the eastern half of the bridge is replaced.
"We have been pushing for this for 10 years," Caldwell told the 30 people at Wednesday's luncheon at Harbormaster Restaurant, which overlooks the marina from where the passenger ferry would be launched.
"You don't have to pay for a passenger ferry terminal. You don't have to pay for parking. You don't have to pay for shuttle service."
State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond is expected to make a decision on Friday on the passenger ferry route to be used either South Point to Lofall or Port Ludlow to Kingston.
A survey asking for residents' preferences of the two choices closed last Friday.
Nearly 4,000 took the survey, said Becky Hixson, Hood Canal Bridge project business manager.
Hixson said Wednesday that her staff was working through the results, and hopes to release them Friday.
Caldwell said that Transportation's water shuttle survey was "not exactly the fair and balanced survey we'd like to see."
He, however, expressed gratitude to Hammond for allowing the survey to be conducted.
PT-Edmonds ferry
Regardless of the outcome of the survey, Caldwell said that the Port Townsend chamber will push for a Port Townsend-Edmonds auto ferry during the closure.
He favors a Port Townsend-Edmonds car ferry to assist distributors trucking in goods to the North Olympic Peninsula during the bridge closure.
Port Ludlow resident Kyle Montgomery, who launched a blog, seattle2pt.com, advocating passenger-ferry service between Port Townsend and Seattle, said that "the support was overwhelming for the Ludlow-Kingston route" on his Web site.
Montgomery said his blog drove many to the state's water shuttle survey
"We do know that 900 people were tracked to the survey link," he said.
Kathie Sharp, Port Ludlow chamber co-president, said she agreed with Caldwell.
"Personally, I would like to see the ferry come here to Port Ludlow," she said.
"It makes economic sense."
While chamber members have not returned much feedback on the proposal, she said members were encouraged to fill out the survey.
The floating bridge is the Peninsula's main artery across Hood Canal, connecting it with Kitsap County, car-ferry service to the Seattle-area and the highway to Tacoma.
During six weeks in May and June next year, contractor Kiewit-General will remove and replace the floating bridge's decaying 47-year-old eastern half.
The Hood Canal Bridge averages about 15,000 vehicle trips a day on weekdays, and about 20,000 on weekends.
Since 1999, Transportation has worked with local community and elected leaders to develop a mitigation plan for when the Hood Canal Bridge is closed while the eastern half is removed and replaced.
The option to use a passenger-only water shuttle across Hood Canal was selected as part of the mitigation plan.
Two options
The South Point-Lofall ferry option would require motorists to park at a temporary lot at the Shine Quarry off state Highway 104, then take a shuttle bus to the temporary ferry dock at South Point.
Temporary infrastructure, such as parking lots and docks, would have to be built on both ends of the route.
On the Lofall side, a shuttle could be taken to the Kingston ferry or other Kitsap County destinations.
The South Point-Lofall option would use two 149-passenger ferries for service every 20-30 minutes at a cost of about $2 million, depending on the price of fuel.
The Port Ludlow-Kingston option would require three boats providing service every 45 minutes at a cost of $4.5 million, officials said.
The Port Angeles Regional and Port Townsend chambers of commerce, along with the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission, have united in support of ferry service between Port Ludlow and Kingston during the closure.
Funding of about $1.5 million needed to run the special ferry route would be derived from dollars saved by not having to build temporary infrastructure for the South Point-Lofall route, Caldwell said.
Port Ludlow-Kingston ferry service is needed during the bridge project because Port Townsend-Keystone ferry use increased 70 percent during the last two-day bridge closure to replace the bridge's approach spans, he said.
"They didn't go around. They don't have that option now, and the Steilacoom II can't handle that capacity," Caldwell said of Peninsula motorists.
The Steilacoom II now plies the route between Port Topwnsend and Keystone.
It was put into service after larger Steel Electric car ferries were pulled from the route for safety reasons.
Caldwell said that the Port Townsend Paper Corp., mill is having to drive trucks carrying kraft paper product to Kingston because they are heavier than the allowed gross weight of 80,000 tons on the Steilacoom II.
Commuters to Navy bases that normally used the Port Townsend-Keystone route also are affected, he said.
He said Washington State Ferries has determined that it would have a car ferry available during the bridge closure, the 90-car Sealth.
Caldwell said about 580 parking spaces could be set aside for ferry parking at or near the Port Ludlow Marina, where a 149-passenger ferry would land and launch.
Some empty grassy lots above the marina would be converted to parking lots, he said.
The parking lot would have lighting and other security during use.
He said establishing the Port Ludlow-Kingston route would show that the route could be used in the future should the bridge be closed again.
"We understand it would be disrupting the tranquillity of this community," he said, adding that the community would be doing the North Olympic Peninsula "a great service."
"I do believe it is for the betterment of the whole county, actually for the whole Olympic Peninsula."
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Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: June 11. 2008 9:00PM