Date:
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Contact:
Governor's Office, 360-902-4111
$100 million will build three new ferries; Governor signs contract to move forward on new design for state ferries
SEATTLE – Gov. Chris Gregoire today proposed investing $100 million in the Washington state ferry system to improve safety and increase capacity.
“We must act now to replace older ferries with newer, safer and more efficient vessels,” said Gov. Gregoire. “The Washington state ferry system is an integral part of the Puget Sound’s transportation infrastructure and a growing number of Washingtonians are coming to rely on them daily. I intend to maintain our current routes without sacrificing the safety of our citizens.”
The governor’s 2008 supplemental budget proposal of $100 million for the construction of three new ferries will allow the state to retire the 80-year old steel electric ferries, the oldest vessels in the fleet.
The governor announced that the state will rent a ferry from Pierce County in order to resume auto-service on the Port Townsend-Keystone route by mid-to late-January and that passenger only ferry service will be provided between Seattle’s Colman Dock and Port Townsend during the holiday season.
Read more from the Governors office...
Related documents:
Governors ferry plan (pdf, 167kb)
Related ferry news:
Washington State Ferries Announces Holiday Passenger-Only Ferry Service between Port Townsend and Seattle
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