Despite navigating through numerous problems, Washington State Ferries still manages to be reliable 99.5 percent of the time, according to state Ferries Assistant Secretary Lynne Griffith.
The newly-appointed secretary fielded questions from Island County commissioners Thursday, along with other jurisdictions reliant on state ferry service.
Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson said she agrees that the ferries run so smoothly usually and that it’s easy for residents to get “cranky” when things go wrong because it happens so seldom.
Still the ferry system locally saw operational problems in recent years, including when the Coupeville ferry was discovered to be running inefficiently and with a “list,” and ramps on the Clinton ferry were manufactured too steep for low-carriage vehicles.
Griffith said she made it her priority to “hit the water first,” spending her first three months with employees on the front lines.
“The fleet is a lot smarter at this than I will ever be,” Griffith said, adding that her ground-up approach will hopefully help her to learn “what really needs attention and what we are doing really well.”
Outreach to staff and passengers is going to be really important, said Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard.
Ferry leadership’s lack connection with its fleet led to employee “disenfranchisement,” Conard said.
“You’ve got some work to do,” Conard told Griffith. “People need to be excited about what they are doing.”
Conard agreed that state ferries 99.5 percent reliability statistic is a message local leaders need to help get out to the public.
Griffith said that she’s gotten positive feedback about her open-door management style.
“They’ve already said it makes a difference, but then I gotta deliver,” Griffith said.
“You can’t just talk.”
Other suggestions by local leaders included providing more informative ferry alerts, the need to give ferries the same priority as roads and bridges, and discouraging the cancellation of a late-night run out of Clinton.
Griffith, who most recently served as chief executive officer of Pierce Transit, said the fleet only runs with a single spare boat, which poses logistical challenges when boats need routine maintenance.
In contrast, bus transit services are mandated by the federal government to run with 20 percent spare ratio, Griffith said.
“It’s a new thing for me to adapt to. … One boat. It won’t work. We need new boats and we need to keep building.”
Traditionally, the legislature has not favored increasing the number of spare boats, but she believes it should be a priority.
“I have to build that case,” Griffith said. “It’s a significant investment.”
Gov. Jay Inslee agrees that the state needs a transportation package but, more importantly, something that is sustainable long term, said Lacey Harper, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office.
“We keep falling into the water. We have crumbling roads and vessels we need to deal with,” Harper said.
Price Johnson noted that rates for ferries increased 100 percent since 2000, making it difficult for the island’s working population.
“In our community, the recession has had an impact on low-wage jobs,” she said. “There’s a lot less elasticity in those budgets. It’s had a real dampening effect to keep families on island if their pay isn’t increasing but fares are.”
Griffith said she announced an organization restructuring that she believes will help address some of the issues with the ferry system.
“It’s doesn’t mean I’m cleaning house,” Griffith said. “It makes sure we’re as lean and as flat as we can be.”
Upcoming local ferry projects include:
n A May 2-3 service interruption for maintenance at Coupeville.
n Replacement of ferry terminals at Mukilteo and Coleman Dock, funded with $81.6 million in the governor’s 2015-17 budget.
n A fourth Olympic class vessel is expected to be delivered in the 2017-19 biennum, to begin with $86 million earmarked in the governor’s 2015-17 budget.
