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Urgent calls for a state of emergency to be declared for Washington State Ferries

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From KOMO News today: More than a dozen Washington state lawmakers are pushing Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency for Washington State Ferries (WSF). The end goal of the move is to make it possible for the state to get two new ferries within two years. “We have a state of emergency. The question is, do we have the political will to call it what it is,” said state representative Spencer Hutchins, (R) Gig Harbor. KOMO News has documented countless issues that WSF has and continues to face. WSF is working with fewer boats than it needs … Continue reading Urgent calls for a state of emergency to be declared for Washington State Ferries

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Only 9 out of 21 Washington State Ferries in good condition

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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 … Continue reading Only 9 out of 21 Washington State Ferries in good condition

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Horrifying video shows how seawater enters ferry – Imagine this happened in Scotland

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From Spark Chronicles yesterday: Ferries are one of the most efficient modes of transportation for transporting goods or people over short water distances. That doesn’t mean they’re protected from the elements. A video showing how seawater entered a ferry in Washington shocked social networks this week. In this 1 minute and 14 second video, you can see how water filled part of the boat called the M/V Issaquah due to strong waves, an incident that occurred in northeastern Washington state. The ferry was heading to Anacortes near the Strait of Juan de Fuca, according to Washington State Ferries, which clarified … Continue reading Horrifying video shows how seawater enters ferry – Imagine this happened in Scotland

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Far fewer in Scotland have ‘serious’ or ‘very poor’ literacy problems than across the UK

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The appearance of Prof Lindsay Paterson on Reporting Scotland today is, once more, fraught with the kind of misunderstandings this statistician with zero experience of teaching regularly brings. Prompted by the numbers-obsessed prof’s strop on the fact that Scotland doesn’t take part in an international study of no use, like Pisa, to compare our adult illiteracy with theirs, they claim: The last Scottish government survey was in 2009 and put the number of people in Scotland who have problems with literacy at around 26%. As with drug deaths, they desperately hope they have found the only kind of whitabootery that … Continue reading Far fewer in Scotland have ‘serious’ or ‘very poor’ literacy problems than across the UK

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US ferry service to extend lives of six ferries to 55 years!

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From the Island Sounder, today: Washington ferries awarded $4.8 million to extend lifespan of six aging vessels by up to a decade. Washington State Ferries (WSF) has received $4.8 million in federal funding to refurbish passenger areas on six aging boats in its ferry fleet. The grant will pay for upgrades on all six of WSF’s Issaquah Class Vessels, originally constructed between 1979 and 1982 and currently serve travellers in Fauntleroy, Vashon, Southworth, Mukilteo, Clinton, Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. https://www.islandssounder.com/life/ferries-awarded-4-8-million-to-extend-lifespan-vessels/ The Washington State Ferries, Issaquah class are 328 feet long and 2 477 tons and serve 90 mile … Continue reading US ferry service to extend lives of six ferries to 55 years!