Road Warrior

The in basket: In July, there was a story in the Kitsap Sun that said Washington State Ferries had been granted $20.9 million to replace the Southworth ferry terminal.

The work is scheduled to begin in 2015 and continue into 2018. The article didn’t say if ferries could still land there during the work, or if the run would be closed for all that time.

I also wondered in the replanking of the vehicle holding area on the dock, done several years ago, would be preserved during the work.

The out basket: Joy Goldenberg, spokeswoman for the ferry system, replied to my inquiry, saying, “I spoke to our terminal engineering department and we are too early on in the planning efforts to answer your questions. When we identify our construction alternative, targeted for spring 2013, we will be able to answer these questions.”

So I guess we’ll have a couple of years to get ready for whatever will happen when the work starts in 2015.

The in basket: Poulsbo City Councilman Ed Stern said in an e-mail, “I notice on Highway 3, the signs for the Bremerton ferry in the vicinity of Bremerton all read ‘Seattle Ferry’ – very helpful and illustrative, especially for our out-of-town travelers, of which we have more than a few, especially in the summer.

“However, when approaching the Poulsbo/Kingston exits on Highway 3, it reads instead ‘Bainbridge Ferry’ and not the more informative ‘Seattle Ferry’. I have to ask why?”

The out basket: I can’t say why, but Steve Bennett, traffic operations engineer for state highways here, says, “We can look at a sign redesign when the sign is up for replacement. We don’t want to spend the money now as the sign is relatively new and we have not had any other complaints.

“Also, we do have ‘Seattle Ferry’ signs on the beginning of Highway 305,” he said.

The in basket: A couple of city councilmen from Kitsap County’s north end recently asked the Road Warrior for help with problems they had spotted in the area, and I was happy to oblige.

Bill Knobloch of Bainbridge Island was the first, appealing for help in February for a situation in which he’d found the state intransigent. Citizen Paul Sanders had brought it to his attention.

“I am writing you as a result of a lost-in-translation communication with WSDOT concerning a continuing problem that directly affects the pocket book of many of my constituents,” Bill said. Right turns on red are prohibited from Highway 305 heading away from downtown onto Madison Avenue, but only by a small sign hanging from the wire that supports the traffic signal heads on 305, he said. Meanwhile, a more obvious sign on the roadside limits the right lane to right turns.

“Considering the existing signs at the side of the highway just prior to the right hand turn, it appears to be a setup for the ordinary driver who will follow the ‘right turn only’ while not having the average scan to see the little white sign saying ‘no turn on red,’ Bill said.

The state had refused to add to the signage due to “current sign congestion.”

This summer Ed Stern of the Poulsbo council sent me the following: “I notice on Highway 3, the signs for the Bremerton Ferry in the vicinity of Bremerton, all read ‘Seattle Ferry’ — very helpful and illustrative, especially for our out-of-town travelers of which we have more than a few, especially in the summer.

“However, when approaching the Poulsbo/Kingston exits on Highway 3, it reads ‘Bainbridge Ferry’ and not the more informative ‘Seattle Ferry’. I have to ask why?”

The out basket: Steve Bennett, traffic operations engineer for the Olympic Region of WSDOT, sent me an e-mail on Aug. 19 saying, “I wanted you to know that we will be ordering a second No Turn On Red sign to be placed on the side of the highway (305)….  I would expect that the sign will be installed next month.” Perhaps it already has been.

Steve more or less concedes Ed’s point, but says it doesn’t rate high on the list of problems his department hopes to address quickly “We can look at a sign redesign when the sign is up for replacement,” he said. “We don’t want to spend the money now as the sign is relatively new and we have not had any other complaints.

“Also,” he said. “we do have ‘Seattle Ferry’ signs on the beginning of (Highway) 305.”

The in basket: On one of my rare trips aboard the Kingston-Edmonds ferry this spring, I was signaled by a deckhand to got forward to offload at Edmonds, only to be forced to stop before I got off the boat.

It was clear to see why. A train was crossing from north to south on the tracks that cross in front of the terminal, interrupting the offload.

I thought that with offloading so close to complete, it would make more sense to stop the train to prevent the ferry’s running late.

It took me a beat to realize the whole on-loading process also would have to be finished before stopping the train would do any good.

But I asked the ferry officials if that’s an option when a train shows up when loading the ferry is nearly complete.

The out basket: Marta Coursey of Washington State Ferries said, “(We) routinely work with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) on coordinating our ferry schedule with their train schedule. Thirty-six trains use the tracks daily, and we have 22 to 26 daily sailings out of Edmonds depending on the day of the week

“In spite of our best efforts, traffic volumes and service disruptions are unpredictable, and BNSF does have the right-of-way, so it’s inevitable that there are times when ferry traffic will be held up. We continue communications with our transportation partners and remain committed to constantly improving our related service schedule.”

The in basket: Dan Wages and Michael Johnson are upset about two strategies use by shipyard workers in Bremerton to get to work in the morning. We’ll discuss Dan’s first and Michael’s in the next Road Warrior.

Dan says, “Every weekday morning at about 7 a.m. I see several bicyclists coming off of the Seattle ferry ride against traffic westbound on First Street heading towards the PSNS gate.

“This looks very dangerous,” he said, “in that cars coming down Pacific, which turns into First Street, do not expect two-way traffic on a one way street. I witnessed one accident a few months ago where a bicyclist struck a vehicle turning into the Kitsap Credit Union building’s underground parking and hear drivers of cars yelling at the bicyclists reminding them that they are on a one-way street going the wrong direction.”

He wonders if what the bicyclists are doing is legal and thinks the city of Bremerton is risking a “huge liability” if one of the bikes is hit by a car.

“There is no signage telling cars to watch for traffic going against the flow on this one-way street,” he said. “Bremerton police do not issue tickets for what appears to be an illegal action.

About a dozen bicyclists do this each day, he said.

The out basket: Lt. Pete Fisher of the Bremerton police traffic division didn’t waste many words on this, saying, that bicyclists must follow the rules of the road per RCW 46.61.755, which says they must comply with all laws applied to automobiles, except that they can ride on the shoulder or sidewalk.

“Our position is that bicyclists must comply with all pertinent laws or they subject themselves to potential enforcement action,” he said.

He didn’t address whether they have written any tickets for this, but it’s clear that a bicyclist in the roadway going the wrong way is violating the law. It sounds like they can get way with it on the sidewalk if they don’t run down any pedestrians.

The in basket: There I was, in line to board a ferry, watching a State Patrol officer lead his hyper-enthusiastic young black lab past the waiting cars, seeking the odor of explosives, when the strangest through occurred to me.

I never feel very poised when picking up the leavings of my own dog, a little Schipperke. Given how instrumental command presence and an aura of authority are to police officers, what could be more detrimental to that than pausing in their duties to pick up a pile of German shepherd poop.

I asked the State Patrol and Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office what advice or directives their K-9 officers are given regarding that least adorable element of dog ownership.

The out basket: Deputy Scott Wilson of the sheriff’s office weighed in first.

“Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office policy for our K-9 handlers,” Scott said, “mirrors that of general rules of doggy etiquette for the general public: the handlers pick-up after their K-9 charges.

“The exception is when a K-9 is on an active track,” he added. “From time to time the excitement of a track may cause a K-9 to urinate or defecate. The handlers have to ignore it and focus on the mission at hand:  officer safety and tracking the suspect. In these cases the deposit is left where it is, although more often than not the item usually is deposited in an inconspicuous location.”

Next in was Sgt. Bill Ashcraft, the K9 supervisor for the WSP Explosive Detection K9 Detachment that covers the Olympic Peninsula, who said, “‘Service with Humility’ has long been the motto of the WSP and it covers just about everything we do, including K9 poop detail.

“This is not the ‘glory’ part of working a police dog but all K9 handlers take pride in the fact if you see dog doodoo it’s not from a police K9. We all carry scoop bag in our pockets.

“Before we work the K9s we try to make sure they have taken care of any ‘business’ that might affect their performance of duties, i.e. searching” Bill said .”These are extremely well-trained dogs and basically will do their business on command.”

Then he kicked in a little info on his team.

“The primary responsibility of the explosive detection K9′s is for the security of the ferry system but we do respond to bomb threats, evidence searches and security sweeps for large events and VIP visits.

“We have 35 explosive detection K9s in the state and 14 narcotic detection dogs that are spread throughout the eight districts in the state. The WSP has one the largest K9 programs in the country outside of the federal government.”

The in basket: I recently came across a year-old e-mail announcing the expansion of the state’s HERO program that lets civilians anonymously report traffic violations, including  the license number of the alleged violator.

The expansion was to include reporting of ferry line cutters, those forcing their way into an established line of vehicles waiting to board a ferry. Line cutting was made illegal in 2007, and calls to the HERO line to report the action were officially encouraged as of March of 2010,

At the time, Susan Harris-Huether of Washington State Ferries publicity office said, “As part of the HERO program, customers reporting line cutters will receive a card with the number 877-764 HERO (4376). The customer will be encouraged to call the number, and submit the violator’s license plate number and make of car.” The car owner will get a letter and information brochure from the state alerting the person to the report of line cutting and the change in the law authorizing a fine for ferry line cutting.

The fine is $124, but only a law enforcement officer can impose it after witnessing a driver cutting in line. Otherwise, it’s essentially a warning that someone has objected to the driver’s behavior and made a report of it.

I asked how it has been working.

The in basket: “Actually very good,” Susan replied.

“We had 416 reported line cutters in a year.  Of those, 61 percent were at Mukilteo, 17 percent  at Edmonds, 10 percent at Clinton and 5 percent at Kingston. The rest are scattered throughout the system.

“The customers have been positive,” she added. “It gives them an outlet for their frustration and a letter goes to each person reported after we check to make sure they are not on our preferential loading list (medical, carpool etc.)”

I asked if some activist at Mukilteo might account for the disproportionate number of HERO calls from there. Last year, before HERO calls reporting them were authorized, Susan had said, “On summer Sundays, WSF receives an average of 45 line-cutting complaints at the Kingston terminal and 25 at Mukilteo.

Susan said the source of each call is unknown, as they are made anonymously.

The in basket:  I noticed a sign I’d never spotted before on the railing at the Southworth ferry terminal while waiting for the ferry one recent Sunday.

“No idle zone,” it said. “Waiting? Turn off engine.”

Idling one’s car unnecessarily is a known pollution cause, so the reason for the sign wasn’t hard to imagine. But I wondered if I’d simply overlooked it before, whether Southworth was the only terminal displaying it and whether disobeying it could incur a fine.

The out basket: Marta Coursey of the ferry system says, “The ‘No Idle Zone’ signs were installed within the last year system-wide (at every terminal) at the specific request of Assistant Secretary David Moseley.

“We have received a number of customer and community comments about the issues around idling cars for long periods of time, including the discomfort of our customers and the related air pollution in the surrounding communities.

“Mr. Moseley charged our terminal department with posting the signs in order to encourage our customers to stop idling their cars unnecessarily. They are advisory signs and we do not enforce the policy.”

The in basket: During the run-up to the ferry Chetzemoka’s beginning service from Port Townsend, I thought I heard one of the Seattle TV stations call it the most expensive ferry ever built in this country.

Can that be true, I asked ferry spokespersons. It’s only about half the size of the Mark II jumbos our ferry system had built, although that was many years ago.

The out basket: I don’t know if ferry public affairs already had it written, but I almost immediately got back the following news release claiming seven inaccuracies in reports about the new ferry:

The Chetzemoka: setting the record straight

While we have appreciated the generally accurate coverage of Washington State Ferries’ new, 64-vehicle Chetzemoka ferry, there are a few inaccuracies in various media reports that we would like to address. With today’s 24-hour news cycle, information is reported quickly and often repeated again and again and/or picked up and used by others.

·         Inaccuracy: The Chetzemoka has an unanticipated or unintended incline to one side (list) that is noticeable while the boat is sailing, making it inefficient and creating safety concerns.

·         Correct information: The 1 percent list is part of the design to maximize the number of trucks/oversize vehicles the vessel can carry, and is due to the location of three stair towers and two elevators on one side. Based on the design, the ferry has no list when loaded with vehicles. As part of the vessel’s certification process, the U.S. Coast Guard performed a vessel-wide stability test and deemed the Chetzemoka safe. The Island Home, a Massachusetts ferry whose design was used for the Chetzemoka, also has a designed-in 1 percent list that is eliminated when the vessel is loaded with vehicles. There is no plan to add ballast (weight) to counter this list when the vessel is not loaded.

·         Inaccuracy: The Chetzemoka is the most expensive ferry ever built in the United States.

·         Correct information: WSF’s Jumbo Mark II ferries cost $86 million each. The Kennicott (Alaska) cost more than $80 million. The Hawaiian Superferries, the Alakai and Huakai, came in at $85 million and $91 million, respectively. (The Chetzemoka cost $79.4 million.)

·         Inaccuracy: The Chetzemoka was supposed to cost $65.5 million but, instead, cost $80.1 million.

·         Correct information: Final cost of the Chetzemoka was $79.4 million. The original budget was $76.93 million (including construction, risk and contingency, and construction management). The $65.5 million figure was the construction bid from Todd Shipyards. It is a standard practice in capital budgeting to include contingency and risk costs and construction management. There has been an additional $663,000 of work on the Chetzemoka that will be charged to the three-vessel procurement program. When the Legislature funded the second and third vessels with a $136.3 million budget, WSF combined that with the $76.93 million Chetzemoka budget, giving us one budget for all three boats totaling $213.2 million.

·         Inaccuracy: The original engineer’s estimate to build the Chetzemoka was $49.5 million.

·         Correct information: The original $49.5 million engineer’s estimate was calculated assuming there would be competition. At the start of the process, four shipyards were interested. Three removed themselves for various reasons, including bonding and apprenticeship goals. A $58.2 million engineer’s estimate was used at bid opening, using the labor rate of the single source bid. The final construction bid was $65.5 million, or 11 percent different from the estimate.

·         Inaccuracy: WSF crews say the Chetzemoka is plagued with problems.

·         Correct information: The captains and crews who have trained on and are operating the Chetzemoka are pleased with the vessel’s performance. A number of media outlets have interviewed the captains and crews of the vessel, who are very forthright in their approval of the vessel.

·         Inaccuracy: The Chetzemoka’s propellers are inefficient.

·         Correct information: The Island Home has fixed-pitch propellers like the Chetzemoka, which operate well in challenging waterways with currents and restricted harbors in Massachusetts. WSF developed procedures and engine-control protocols during several weeks of sea trials to ensure efficient operation. The vessel is operating on WSF’s most challenging route, with strong cross currents at the narrow, shallow Keystone Harbor.

·         Inaccuracy: WSF needs to get out of the business of designing and building vessels.

·         Correct information: WSF does not design or build vessels. Elliott Bay Design Group designed the Chetzemoka and Todd Pacific Shipyards built it.

The in basket: Marty Miller e-mailed me a copy of Washington State Ferries’ map at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/cameras/pop_cam_map.cfm, showing where it has cameras producing images of the holding areas at its terminals, allowing people to get some idea how many vehicles are waiting to board. He noted that Bremerton doesn’t have one and asked when it will get one.

The out basket: It does have one, says Susan Harris-Heather of the WSF public affairs office. You can see the images from all the terminals online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/cameras/  and Bremerton is included.

She said she’ll notify the system’s Web techs of the omission from the Web site Marty checked and get a camera icon for Bremerton added to it.