David H. Moseley, assistant secretary for the WSDOT Ferries Division, released this update on the current ferries situation on Sept. 9.
Fuel hedging committee
On Wednesday, I met with the WSF fuel hedging committee. As I mentioned last week, WSF burns more than 17 million gallons of fuel each year and it comprises 29 percent of the operating budget. WSF is looking for innovative ways to stabilize the price of fuel for the ferry system. Fuel hedging lowers the risk by providing more certainty of future fuel costs. Currently WSF has hedged 2.5 million gallons or 20 percent of our fuel budget.
Ferries Conference
Members of my staff participated in the second annual Ferries Conference on Tuesday in Seattle. WSF Deputy Director George Capacci joined several other industry leaders on a speakers’ panel at the conference. Participants included public transit agencies, port districts, municipalities and other ferry system users. The discussions covered the federal and state legislative environment, community engagement, funding, and case studies. For more information visit www.ferriesconference.com/index.php
Connecting Washington Task Force
Today I am attending the second meeting of the governor’s Connecting Washington Task Force. The task force is charged with reviewing statewide transportation needs and recommending the most promising investment options and revenue sources to address top priorities. The meetings are open to the public and future meetings are scheduled for Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Nov. 29. For more information, visit www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/transportation/connectwa.asp
View progress on terminal projects
For updated photos of construction for our Edmonds and Anacortes terminal facilities, visit www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157627632118692 and www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157626262951227. You may also get more information on the project pages at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/index.htm?s=county,funding,location-ferries,route#listing.
Next Week:
- WSDOT senior managers meeting
- Central waterfront committee meeting
- Washington State Patrol/WSDOT joint annual meeting
Moseley’s weekly updates are available on the WSDOT Ferries Division website.
