PORT TOWNSEND — A new systemwide ferry reservation system that is expected to be tested on the Port Townsend-Keystone route sometime next year will be the main topic of discussion at a Washington State Ferries meeting Wednesday.
The meeting, which will include Jefferson County Ferry Advisory Committee members, is scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m. at Pope Marine Building, 100 Madison St., in Port Townsend.
Washington State Ferries works with advisory committees throughout Puget Sound to develop schedules, resolve customer problems and understand regional issues.
There will allow time for public comment Wednesday.
The meetings are conducted quarterly in various venues throughout the state ferries service area.
“The Legislature is asking state ferries to develop a systemwide reservation plan,” said Tim Caldwell, Jefferson County Ferry Advisory Committee chairman.
Ferry advisory committee member Tom Thiersch said the new system would be different from the pilot program first used in Port Townsend in 2007 that has resulted in shorter vehicle waiting lines to the Port Townsend terminal.
Thiersch said the most significant proposal is a “priority access” system to differentiate tourists from regular commuters and commercial vehicles.
‘Pre-pay’ accounts
As proposed, it would involve an annual program that establishes a “pre-pay” account for a user, which is meant to address people making reservations but not showing up.
“The new reservation proposal does not require a fee but requires a pre-pay,” Thiersch said.
When state ferries proposed a $10 reservation holding fee in 2007, it was quickly shot down by ferry users, he recalled.
A pre-payment deposit would allow it to be applied toward a no-show fee, whose amount is not yet determined.
“Thirty to 40 percent are no-shows at times,” Thiersch said of those making reservations.
Sometimes, “people are making fake reservations under fake names and getting no penalty for it. This is intended to discourage that,” he said.
Last spring, the state Legislature directed Washington State Ferries to conduct a pre-design study on vehicle reservations.
This study is intended to identify the technology and capabilities needed for a vehicle reservations system that could be applied to all state routes, if found appropriate.
The pre-design report is due to the Legislature before the 2010 session, with a draft to be submitted by Dec. 15.
In state ferries’ 2030 long-range plan, a vehicle reservations system is identified as a primary demand-management strategy.
Vehicle reservations could save the state of Washington $290 million in capital improvements by avoiding the need to expand ferry terminals and holding areas to accommodate current and projected increases in vehicle traffic.
The Edmonds-Kingston route also is being evaluated for the new technology identified in the pre-design study.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
