### An Alternative Alki-Manchester Ferry Dock Scenario

The Alki-Manchester Ferry fell victim to a monopolist’s economic behavior. By acquiring the Kitsap County Transportation Company, the Puget Sound Navigation Company (doing business as the Black Ball Line) secured a Seattle and environs monopoly on cross-sound ferry service. The Navigation Company then began to exhibit classic monopoly behavior by restricting output (i.e. reduced ferry service). Labor’s failure to demand job security assurances and minimum levels of available work hastened the Alki ferry’s demise.

In the years following the ferry’s closing, economic conditions began to improve. Employment and war production, at the Bremerton Navy Yards, increased. Cross-sound ferry traffic recovered accordingly. After the war years, the automobile resumed its growth industry status and the Seattle region’s population grew 57% between 1930 and 28%.64 1950. The next ten years added another Conditions were favorable for continuation and expansion of the Alki ferry.

Ferry survival and growth may well have been, for the Alki community, an unwelcome outcome. In addition, the Kitsap County Transportation Company may well have acted upon plans underlying its Alki shoreland acquisition. If the Kitsap and Puget Sound Companies had been left to their own devices, the entire Alki shoreline between the Alki Beach Park and Alki Lighthouse (at Alki Point) may have become ferry docks, terminal facilities, and car parking, circulation and holding areas. Traffic levels would have risen well beyond that characteristic of a residential neighborhood.

The City of Seattle enacted, in 1923, its first zoning and land use regulatory ordinance. The Alki-Manchester Ferry dock site and the area west and south of the dock was use.65 zoned for residential It is an open question if the Alki dock was ever in compliance with the City’s ordinance. There is no record of a building permit application 1990s.66 or enforcement action, at any time, for the dock and dock site until the Neighboring properties were permitted for residential development and redevelopment 1909.67 dating from

As the 1944 temporary rezoning request demonstrates, the dock was not a permitted land use under the city’s then current regulations. Any scheme to extend and enlarge the dock to accommodate greater traffic and patronage may well have become immersed in regulatory controversy.

The Crosby ferry route was served by a 65-car capacity vessel. Today a 65-car capacity vessel is the smallest of all vessels in the Puget Sound ferry fleet. Contemporary ferry cars.68 vessels range up to a capacity of 200 Increased service frequency would have implied an increased number of dock slips. Increased ferryboat capacity would have implied an enlarged dock. With age, the structural integrity of the wooden dock would have been brought into question. While the ferry was in service during the year 1935, on two occasions, service was suspended due to dock storm damage. The future, more than likely, held the necessity for the rebuilding of the dock to enhance the dock’s

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