Peninsula Daily News news sources
The state’s Steel Electric ferry fleet – the only type of car ferry that can ply the Port Townsend-Keystone route – might be mothballed this week.
The decision now is up to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who on Monday got plenty of urging from influential state lawmakers who say trying to repair the 80-year-old ferries is throwing good money after bad hulls.
If Gregoire decides to permanently idle the oldest four of the Washington State Ferries fleet – a decision could come by Thursday – Port Townsend could be left without car ferry service to Whidbey Island for most of 2008, if not longer.
That’s how long it would take for a replacement ferry to be built.
The Steel Electric-class ferries simply have too many problems to continue spending millions of dollars to keep them afloat, members of the Legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee told Washington State Ferries officials during a meeting in Seattle on Monday.
