It was more than a year ago at a public meeting on Vashon that former head of Washington State Ferries Lynne Griffith said she felt a quick win at the Fauntleroy dock would help ease frustrations there.

The Triangle Route Improvement Task Force was created after that meeting to address the challenges, and we are appreciative of the time all the members have put in. But we are still waiting for that quick win.

Now, new voices have weighed in to the ferry fray — economists and professional number crunchers — and they have a lot to say. Their study, available online and featured on the front page of this paper, is worth reading, studying and asking questions about. We owe them, Theo Eicher and Jeremy Cooper, a debt of gratitude for putting their data analysis expertise to work and trying to understand the ferry system through numbers — and then sharing those numbers widely.

Their report indicates how much ferry problems persist. This is particularly worrisome because despite the gloom of recent days around us, the sunny days of summer are coming again. We know many on Vashon are dreading the travel problems that will come with them. We would like to see an effort — beyond the pre-ticketed booth trial set for next month — toward improved operations before peak travel season returns.

We know we are lucky to live in a beautiful place and that more people will come here in the summer — and that they benefit the island in numerous ways. We expect delays with their arrival. But a repeat of the long ferry lines — while boats sail only partially filled — is difficult for all those involved and could cause real harm. We worry about sick and elderly people in such long lines in hot months, with no bathroom facilities nearby. We worry about road rage. We worry about accidents on Fauntleroy Way, which is not designed to hold a mile or more line of cars.

We also understand that poor ferry service carries a cost for island businesses. Eicher, who is an economics professor at the University of Washington, indicated it would not be insurmountably difficult or expensive to determine what that cost is for Vashon. The head of the local Chamber has indicated he is interested in working toward answering that question. We fully support and encourage that effort.

But, summer is coming, and there is work to do. We hope that people in positions of power to do it will rededicate themselves to the task.

This version corrects when the public meeting with Lynne Griffith took place. It was October 2016, not two years ago as previously stated.