PORT TOWNSEND — The proposal for a passenger-only ferry between Port Townsend and Seattle has been thrown into jeopardy until Congress decides budget issues and determines the dispositions of earmark expenditures.
A $1 million allocation for the service — which was attached to a bill sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Bothell, as part of the 2011 budget — is not scheduled to be addressed until at least March.
Initially, the Port of Port Townsend had hoped the allocation would be approved in the last session of Congress, which would have allowed the ferry to commence this year.
The port would administer the ferry from its terminal on Port Hudson but would use grant money and government allocations to do so.
The delay threatens the federal allocation — and the project, supporters said.
The proposed ferry would carry passengers between the two points and streamline the trip for both tourists and commuters.
“If we want this area to survive, we need to develop easy access from the I-5 corridor,” said Jim Pivarnik, assistant director of the Port of Port Townsend.
“We are missing this transportation link to Seattle, which is very important.”
Pivarnik said about $2 million would be needed to start the project.
The port has already received a $1 million state grant, which required a $250,000 match, for which the federal money was to be used.
Now that the federal money is no longer available, “we will have to find that $250,000 somewhere else,” Pivarnik said
Pivarnik is pursuing other grant options but thinks the $1 million will be hard to replace.
“The port commissioners are adamant that we don’t spend any port money on this,” he said.
“I want to have enough operating money in hand for the first two years.”
Murray’s office contacted Pivarnik in December with the news that the funding was jeopardized.
Murray has not wavered in her support for the project, said her spokesman, Matt McAlvanah.
“Sen. Murray believes that this project offers commuters and local residents an important connection that will lead the area on a path to economic recovery,” McAlvanah said.
Republicans made significant gains in the November elections and are using their power to block all earmark expenditures, he said.
“It is going to be difficult to get this passed,” McAlvanah said.
“The Republicans think that it is better to support bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., than to support the programs that people need at home,” he added.
McAlvanah said he hopes the mood could shift into a more conciliatory mode, saying “in order to get any budget passed, both parties will need to cooperate.”
Pivarnik doesn’t think the ferry would be a popular commuter option because of the two-hour trip and that it will not run before 9:30 a.m.
“Some people are worried that we will become a bedroom community for Seattle, but the ferry won’t be practical for commuters,” he said.
The ferry would allow Port Townsend residents to pursue educational and medical opportunities in Seattle, he said.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
