June 13th, 2018
From: Protect Lummi Island Community (501c3)
To: Lummi Island Ferry Advisory Committee
Subject: Text of Public Comment by Mike Skehan, Secretary on this date
PLIC has been working hand in hand with LIFAC and our community over the course of this Ferry System Improvement Project and would like to share our final thoughts with you prior to your making a final recommendation to the Whatcom County Council.
It’s clear that the Whatcom Chief and trestles on both sides of Hales Passage are in need of replacement and/or repair in the near future. There are 280 ferries operating in the US. Only 35 vessels are older than the Chief. Terminal facilities, trestles and the like are part of our bridge to the mainland. Last year there were over 56,000 structurally deficient/obsolete bridges in the US. Of the 8,120 bridges in Washington State, 2,193 were deemed deficient or obsolete, and in Whatcom County, of 350 bridges, 90 were deemed deficient/obsolete. These numbers have not improved over the last 10 years, so there is a significant backlog of infrastructure projects in the wings, both locally and nationally.
Kpff has identified a capital need of over $102m over the next 28 years (Financial Forecast) for vessel and terminal improvements, but stops short of laying out a financial plan due to the uncertainties of future funding options. We understand that.
Therefore, PLIC strongly urges LIFAC to not make a recommendation to the County Council that does not acknowledge the realities of future needs and future resources to pay for that. We do however support a statement in your recommendations that says: “These findings and recommendations to you should not preclude taking advantage of future opportunities that may arise to acquire a replacement vessel and/or future terminal improvements”.
Respectfully Submitted, PLIC Board of Directors
Source of data FHWA (Federal Highway Admin) & BTS (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
