Mar 18 2009
Kenmore Reporter: The future of water-taxi service in N. King County
BY DAVID BAKER AND BOB FERGUSON
Imagine a different kind of commute — sipping coffee on a boat as you glide over Lake Washington and watch the day break over Mount Rainier; stepping off a dock and onto a bus that sweeps you off to your final destination in a matter of minutes. Now, contrast that to your current battle through bumper-to-bumper traffic as you inch your way along miles of pavement. It is time to make water-taxi service across Lake Washington a viable way to travel.
Traffic congestion is a part of daily life in North King County, and with tolling likely on the 520 Bridge, traffic on Bothell Way, Lake City Way and the surrounding arterials will only increase as commuters seek to avoid paying tolls. Right at our doorstep, however, lies an open waterway that provides a transportation option — Lake Washington.
The King County Ferry District is working to implement this option by bringing water-taxi service to the lake. Formed in 2007, the Ferry District runs the Vashon Island and West Seattle water-taxi service routes and is working to expand water-taxi service through new demonstration routes, including a potential Kenmore-to-Seattle route…more
On March 24, we will co-host a town-hall meeting regarding the King County Ferry District and the proposed Kenmore-to-Seattle water-taxi route. The meeting will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Northshore Utility District Building, 6830 N.E. 185th St., Kenmore. A reception begins at 6:30 p.m. We hope you can join us to learn more and share your views on this important subject.
King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson represents District One, which includes Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, North Seattle and parts of Woodinville and unincorporated King County. He is also a King County Ferry District Board member. He can be reached at bob.ferguson@kingcounty.gov or (206) 296-1001.
Kenmore Mayor David Baker has actively lobbied the King County Council and King County Ferry District supporting Kenmore as the first demonstration route on Lake Washington. He can be reached at dbaker@ci.kenmore.wa.us or (425) 398-8900.
5 Responses to “Kenmore Reporter: The future of water-taxi service in N. King County”
Nothing like a clairvoyant politician painting a picture of a future utopia. I was feeling so good….until I read the King County announcement yesterday that it’s $50M in the hole. That they are struggling to keep essential services running.
What a great time to throw money into another hole….a boat.
In real terms, the marginal benefit of a ferry service when compared to the per unit (commuter) cost of operation makes this seem like a bad dream. Now I’m not feeling so good.
~Bob Smith
I have a couple of thoughts regarding a Kenmore to Seattle Ferry:
1) It is short-sighted to think of transportation systems as “profitable.” There are almost no mass transit systems in the world (trains, planes, ferries, etc.) that turn a profit. Most are subsidized. So, if one objects to transportation systems based on profits, then we should all just stay home and telecommute. Transportation systems exist as a benefit to a region in terms of convenience and quality of life.
2) This Ferry proposal should be looked upon as an opportunity to truly leverage the City’s position on Lake Washington (utilizing an asset) to it’s advantage. The benefits may far outweigh the risks in terms of waterfront development, and positive exposure for the City. Why is it that visionary proposals are always rejected out-of-hand? If the concern is truly a matter of money, then the community should exert influence on the City Government to move forward with the redevelopment of Kenmore. Then people will want to come here.
3) Personally, as a resident of Kenmore, I’d love to take the ferry from Kenmore to Seattle.
I can’t be at the meeting tonight - I have work - but I’m strongly, strongly, strongly for this ferry plan. I’d love to be able to hop a boat down to Husky Stadium and catch first a bus and later a train to go downtown or Capital Hill or even (eventually) Northgate, and I think the development boon for the town could be tremendous. We have a great waterfront opportunity here, and I think we’d be barking mad not to take it.
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Lots of interesting articles………thanks for your efforts.
M. Jacobson
Kenmore