Seattle Times Editorial Board: Next Governor Should Order 2 Diesel Ferries

Since Autumn 2023, when a retired licensed engineer with a long tenure with Washington State Ferries (WSF) spoke to the San Juan Islands’ “Ferry Lovers of Washington” (FLOW) interest group, activists from San Juan Island, Orcas Island, and Crane Island have been calling for the State to build two new diesel ferry boats. FLOW members have watched the idea gain traction every month since. Now, all the major candidates for Governor, from both parties, are calling for two (or more) new diesel boats to be built.

Add to those calling for two new diesel boats the State’s most powerful media voice.

On Friday, the Seattle Times Editorial Board published a blunt and forceful commentary that laid blame for the crisis state of WSF at the feet of Governor Jay Inslee. They called his leadership of WSF “feckless.”

Specifically, they heaped criticism on Inslee for refusing — since 2018 — to consider building or buying any more diesel ferry boats. The editorial expressed skepticism that modern battery-powered boats will be delivered on time (in 2028) and on budget ($260 million each). The senior journalists held Inslee accountable for “plummeting confidence in the [WSF] system.”

The editorial calls on the new Washington governor in January to declare a state of emergency for WSF and order the construction of two new diesel boats.

To read the Seattle Times editorial click here.