PORT TOWNSEND – The leading Republican on the state House Transportation Committee assured Port Townsend leaders and business owners Thursday that he will work with North Olympic Peninsula Democratic lawmakers to ensure adequate ferry service out of Port Townsend.
“This is no different from what happened in Centralia or Katrina,” said Rep. Doug Ericksen of Ferndale and House deputy Republic leader, referring to horrendous flooding in Washington state and Louisiana.
He likened the loss of vehicle ferry service to Port Townsend to the loss of a bridge, saying, “I do treat this thing as a natural disaster.”
The state ferries system will pull the 149-passenger Snohomish passenger ferry off the temporary Seattle-Port Townsend route at the end of the service day Sunday.
The holiday route has provided round-trip ferry service between Port Townsend and Seattle since Dec. 13, after the last of the four 80-year-old Steel Electric car ferries serving the Port Townsend-Keystone route were permanently idled on Nov. 20.
State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond declared the vessels unsafe after finding significant corrosion and pitting in the hull of the Quinault, and later, that of the Illahee.
The Klickitat, which is believed to have similar damage, sits at the Port Townsend terminal, while the Nisqually has been retired a second time.
State ferries officials on Thursday said after the Port Townsend-Seattle run ends Sunday, Puget Sound Express trips from Hudson Point Marina to Keystone Harbor will continue until Jan. 9, when the Snohomish returns from receiving maintenance.
The Snohomish then will continue operation between Port Townsend and Keystone until late January or early February, when a leased 54-car ferry from Pierce County is expected to replace it on the route.
