How a plan to allow more passenger ferries fell apart in Olympia
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A King County water taxi ferries commuters in 2020. Photo: Karen Ducey/Getty Images
An effort to allow more passenger-only ferries fizzled out in Washington's Legislature this year, with the vision for new foot ferries on Puget Sound colliding with a top lawmaker's concerns about the state budget.
Why it matters: The dispute suggests adding more pedestrian-only ferries could remain politically difficult — particularly as Washington struggles with the cost of replacing the larger vessels that make up its aging ferry fleet.
Catch up quick: House Bill 1923 — dubbed the "Mosquito Fleet Act" — aimed to greatly expand the number of government entities that could run their own passenger-only ferry service.
- Right now, state law allows counties and Kitsap Transit to operate foot ferry service — but not cities or most local transit agencies.
- The idea harkens back to the late 1800s and early 1900s, when private boats — known as the Mosquito Fleet — moved people and goods across Puget Sound.
What they're saying: The hope was "to restore reliable ferry service and get boats back on the water faster and cheaper," state Rep. Greg Nance (D-Kitsap County), the bill's prime sponsor, said at a public hearing in February.
- Nance said that could be done using "lessons from Puget Sound's maritime history and heritage."
The measure passed the state House on a 84-11 vote in February.
Yes, but: It was altered substantially in the state Senate, where an amendment from Senate Transportation Chair Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) proposed several new rules for any new foot-ferry operations.
- Those included requirements that such ferries have zero emissions, be built in Washington state, and keep their distance from whales.
- The amended bill would have also barred future foot-ferry districts from raising sales taxes to fund their operations, while restricting them from receiving state funding.
The House refused to adopt the Senate's amendments, and the Senate wouldn't budge, leaving the policy dead in the water this year.
- Nance lashed out at Liias in a recent op-ed, accusing him of trying to torpedo the legislation. (Nance didn't respond to Axios' request for an interview).
The other side: "The vision is beautiful," Liias said in a recent interview discussing the bill.
- But, he added, "the state Legislature typically doesn't give everybody huge taxing authority without some plan, some guardrails."
- The state — which is facing a transportation budget crunch — needs to stay focused on replacing vessels that are part of the existing Washington State Ferries system, Liias said.
- "We need to finish the promises we've already made before we start making new ones," he said.
Liias said he also was concerned about potentially allowing further sales tax increases around the state, noting that the sales tax rate where he lives is already 10.7%.
What's next: Liias said he's willing to look at expanding passenger ferries for specific local governments if they bring a plan to the Legislature — particularly in areas like the San Juan Islands, where local officials have complained of unreliable state ferry service.