The PI today ran a story about the possible rebirth of passenger-only ferries in the Sound and even Lake Washington. Apparently the success of the Elliot Bay Water Taxi, the coming traffic hell, and the development of Puget Sounds westside has people thinking back to the days of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet. Also, the state would like to get out of the business of running passenger-ferries, and King County Metro or Sound Transit would take up running the ferries.
Some words of caution from me: (1) The Water Taxi works because it runs in the summer when it is most fun to take a ferry, (2) all transit projects lose money and passenger ferries would be no exception, (3) if 520 is so dangerous during a windstorm, imagine a passenger-ferry on Lake Washington.
All in all it’s a fine plan, but I think the focus should remain on off-grade trains.
Re: point 3, a ferry’s not attached to anything, so won’t break if the waves get too high.
Hah! Just imagining a little PO boat like the Victoria Clipper bouncing across the waves on Lake Washington is giving me warm fuzzies. Thanks. :)