Fred Chang’s Newsclips

Sunday, September 28, 2003
By The Associated Press

BREMERTON — For ferry commuters between Bremerton and Seattle, the first workweek without passenger-only vessels was marked by crowded conditions onboard the regular ferries, especially during evening rush hour.

That’s no surprise. About 700 commuters who relied on the “foot ferries” had to go somewhere after state officials terminated the heavily subsidized service Sept. 20, saying fares covered less than 30 cents of each dollar of costs.

But few anticipated how packed the 5:30 p.m. sailing from Seattle would be.

For the past week, average ridership on that run has been well over 1,000, and the ferry has about 750 seats, The Sun newspaper reported yesterday. Many commuters were left standing while others jockeyed for space.

“Monday was a mess. They kept announcing over the intercom for people to scoot over, scoot over,” said commuter Beckie Regusci, of Bremerton. “There were four to five people to a bench. Sometimes six.”

The boats can hold 1,200 passengers and have enough life preservers for that number, but there aren’t enough seats for everyone.

The 790-seat ferry Kitsap, which usually makes the Bremerton run, was docked last week for a Coast Guard inspection, so the 750-seat Chelan replaced it.

“It’s frustrating,” said Bob Murphy, of Bremerton. The Washington State Ferries “had all this time to prepare. Here I come in Monday morning and I’ve got the Chelan looking at me. I wasn’t the only one going ‘Ah, crap.’ ”

Last Sunday, about 200 people were turned away because there wasn’t room aboard the Chelan for the crowds heading home to Bremerton after the Seahawks game in Seattle.

“I keep hearing rumors about the 5:30 p.m. sailing from Seattle turning away people who then have to wait for the 6:45 sailing,” said Fred Chang, chairman of the Bremerton Ferry Advisory Committee.

System spokeswoman Susan Harris-Huether said walk-ons were turned away on Sunday only. There was no repeat during the workweek. “That’s an urban legend growing up among Bremerton commuters, and it’s not true,” she said.

Some commuters are suggesting the system add a third boat or try a larger vessel but Harris-Huether said that’s not an option. There are no jumbo-class vessels to spare from the Bainbridge or Edmonds runs.

The Bainbridge run involves more passengers and vehicles than Bremerton; the Edmonds ferry carries more vehicles and is a major truck route. The large vessels serving the San Juan Islands always fill up because the runs are limited.

“Once you go through that exercise, you find out there are no spare boats,” said Mike Anderson, the system’s director of marine operations.

A second and larger ferry, the super-class Hyak with a maximum capacity of 2,500, serves the two other most crowded evening runs on the Bremerton route at 4:20 and 6:45 p.m.

Even if a second large vessel were available, it would probably not be used on the Bremerton run, Harris-Huether said.

“None of the other sailings (at different times) come close to meeting capacity,” she said. “Why would we do that for one sailing?”

Chang said he’s relieved that reports of walk-on passengers being turned away during the workweek were untrue, “but it doesn’t seem right that 1,000 people are crammed onto a boat with 750 seats, even if there are 1,200 life preservers.”