So we weren't able to address their concerns. If the state ties up its passenger ferries, the bill would allow them to be used at Bremerton, but also at Kingston and Southworth. That's what Sen. Bob Oke, R-Port Orchard, would like to see. Kingston has the facilities to accommodate passenger ferries. The Snohomish can dock in car slips.
Funding is the stumbling block.
The bill places governance of passenger ferries with the state Utilities and Transportation Commission. The UTC would choose operators based upon their capabilities, and award five-year permits. Service would have to be started within a year. The commission could revoke permits if the operator fails to provide adequate service or renew them for three years at a time. Operators could be nonprofit corporations, public-private partnerships, transit agencies, municipalities, private entities, individuals or any combination.