Drafter
Clerk 5/1/2007
Title
AN ORDINANCE creating a ferry district in King County; amending Ordinance 12076, Section 9, as amended, and K.C.C. 4.08.015 and adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 4.08.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The Puget Sound region has a long history of waterborne transportation, with waterways such as the Puget Sound and Lake Washington being the first major transportation routes in the area.
B. In 1993, the Washington State Ferry System produced a passenger-only implementation plan which called for expanded passenger-only ferry service in Puget Sound.
C. In 1998, Referendum 49 provided a state funding source for expansion of the state's passenger-only ferry fleet.
D. In 1999, the passage of Initiative 695 reduced the state funding source for passenger-only ferry service provided for in Referendum 49.
E. In 2003, following the failure of Referendum 51, the legislature agreed to continue operating some passenger-only service while eliminating other passenger-only service in Puget Sound.
F. In 2003, the legislature also made statutory changes to facilitate passenger-only ferry service by transit agencies, and county ferry districts.
G. In 2004, the legislature directed the Washington state Department of Transportation to develop a ten-year vision for moving passengers across Puget Sound.
H. In 2005, the legislature established the Passenger-Only Ferry Task Force to study the most reliable and cost-effective means of providing passenger-only ferry service, including the viability of different service providers, cost to ferry passengers, state subsidies and the availability of federal funding for different service providers. The Passenger-Only Ferry Task Force completed this study in January 2006 and presented its findings to the legislature.
I. The task force found that passenger-only ferry service is an important component of state, regional and local trans...
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