On Wednesday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m., Washington State Ferries (WSF) will host a public meeting at McMurray Middle School to hear what Vashon residents have to say about proposed pricing and operational strategies.

It is an opportunity for all of us to be heard on these subjects, and as many of us as possible should be there.

The state Legislature has required both WSF and the Washington State Transportation Commission to engage in numerous studies of the finances and operations of the ferry system in order to determine how best to fund the system and provide for the needs of its customers.

There is a belief underlying these studies that customers should be given incentives to both travel as walk-on passengers rather than in vehicles and/or, if they are using a vehicle, to travel at non-peak travel times. Both positive and negative incentives are being looked at, meaning that both lower fares at off-peak times and higher fares at peak times are possibilities.

Operational strategies under consideration include reservation systems and various types of priority loading for different types of customers, some involving additional charges and some not.

WSF is coming to all of the ferry-served communities to seek our input on these issues, and it is in our best interest that they hear from us.

The meeting will begin with opening remarks and a brief presentation of the issues WSF is exploring. Participants will then be divided into work groups of about 10 people each for discussion and comment. This will give many more people the opportunity to be heard than has been allowed in previous meetings.

This is an important opportunity for all of us to help shape the future of our ferry service. Please take advantage of it and join us at McMurray Middle School.

— Alan Mendel

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