HOOD CANAL BRIDGE CLOSURE MITIGATION PLAN

Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce Position Paper
March 14 , 2002

The proposed Hood Canal Bridge closure mitigation plan, as it now stands, fails to adequately address the short and long term negative impacts on our communityís tourism industry. Missing from the PRTPO presentation on the two ferry options were the following:
 

• No discussion of user fees for the ferry or transit services
• Did not include Jefferson Countyís Gateway Visitor Center park & ride project at SR104 & SR19 to be completed by 2006
• No review of Port Ludlow-Kingston passenger-only ferry route
• No review of the Port of Port Townsend property (Port Townsend Lumber bulk storage area) or the Haines Place Park & Ride

It is felt that the PRTPO presentation was geared more for moving people off the Olympic Peninsula and little attention was given to accommodating travelers to the peninsula.

The tourism industry is the 2nd largest industry in Jefferson County. The impact of the Hood Canal Bridge closure will be significant if visitors from the I-5 corridor must drive south to Shelton and then north on SR101 to reach our area. There is little doubt that visitors will seek other destinations not only during the scheduled bridge closure but even after the bridge is reopened.

We believe it is imperative that direct access from Edmonds/Kingston to Port Townsend must be part of the Hood Canal Bridge closure mitigation plan. Direct access between Edmonds/Kingston and Port Townsend is not optional. More can be done to help mitigate the impact of the bridge closure both long and short term. We recommend the following:
 

• Offer a WSF auto ferry run between Edmonds/Kingston and Port Townsend, charging a fair market fee, similar to method used in 1980 (the previous extended closure of the bridge)
• Combine Hood Canal Bridge closure mitigation funds and user fees to underwrite daily private passenger-only ferry service between Port Townsend and Seattle
• Ensure completion of the Jefferson County Gateway Visitor Center/Park & Ride at SR104 and SR19 by early 2006
• Reroute the excess weekend Southpoint/Port Gamble private passenger-only ferry service to operate between Port Ludlow and Seattle
• Add a third Port Townsend/Keystone auto ferry
• Supplement Jefferson and Clallam Transit operations budgets to ensure adequate ground transportation support for passenger-only ferry services
• Combine Hood Canal Bridge closure public outreach funds ($750,000) with Clallam/Jefferson Tourism Joint Marketing Committee funds to produce a coordinated long range marketing and public information campaign

We believe the traffic interruption caused by the bridge closure will adversely affect Jefferson and Clallam Countiesí tourism industry. Regardless of the projected length of time the bridge is closed for repairs, we believe the impact will carry over for the remainder of the summer and possibly longer. However, we believe the Hood Canal Bridge repair project can serve as a catalyst to improve alternative transportation links to the Olympic Peninsula. Therefore, we intend to advocate for the above recommendations.