From the Courier-Herald, in Seattle, yesterday:

There are so many problems with our ferry system. Constant delays, breakdowns, and staffing issues, our ferry fleet has become known around the region as one of the easiest ways to ruin your commute. While Washington currently has the largest ferry network in the nation, only nine ships of our 21 are considered in good condition1.

This has resulted in some routes sporting a reliability rate as low as 75 percent. The effect on passengers is late arrivals to work, added hours to their commute, and increased frustration with a transportation network. If almost 1 in 4 rides is late or simply never arrives at all we are sending a message to commuters that their time and their plans don’t matter to us and its obvious WSDOT is mismanaging its basic responsibilities.

This untenable situation is a direct result of poor planning and administration of what constitutes necessary infrastructure for our region.

It should come as no surprise that the older ferries, some of which are pushing 60 years of age, are in poor condition. Yet, the strategic plan of the state legislature, since the turn of the millennium, has added only seven new ferries, far short of what is needed to renew the fleet.