Fast Ferry cuts loom as Washington faces budget crisis
The Brief
Some commuters in Kitsap County and Vashon Island could see their fast ferry or water taxi routes to Seattle be cut in the near future.
Washington lawmakers are proposing limiting fast ferry weekday roundtrips to and from Seattle as they work to budget around a mutli-billion dollar shortfall.
BREMERTON, Wash. - Commuters in Kitsap County and on Vashon Island may soon see limitations on a popular transportation option, as budget constraints threaten to sink funding for several fast ferry and water taxi sailings. With Olympia facing a multi-billion dollar shortfall, state lawmakers are opting to no longer fund multiple weekday roundtrips to and from Seattle.
"We need our ferries. We only have this one final ferry," said Deb, a Bremerton resident. "We cannot afford to lose our fast ferries."
What we know
Currently, the plan is to slash seven weekday roundtrips to Bremerton on the fast ferry and four to Vashon Island on the water taxi.
"People who don't live in Seattle and need the ferries to commute to Seattle aren't going to get there as reliably," said Brad Hogan, a Bremerton commuter who takes the fast ferry to work at least five days a week. "It's just going to destroy everybody's free time because they have to catch even earlier ferries and take even later ones."
Hogan, a Navy veteran, believes ferry service to his peninsula home should be expanded, not reduced.
"I've always been impressed with their operational tempo. The way they can just get 100 people across, unload and load them back up in less than five minutes," he said. "Those guys don't fall behind, like almost ever."
In the Washington State Senate's 2023-2025 budget, legislators allotted millions of dollars to increase water taxi and fast ferry services. However, these funds were omitted from the newly drafted budget for 2025-2027. A spokesperson explained that the previous allocations were only meant as a stopgap until more state ferry boats could return to service.
Governor Bob Ferguson recently announced that Washington would delay hybrid-electrification of its ferry fleet to keep more boats operational—a move that may address some service gaps.
The Source
Information in this story is from the Washington State Legislature and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
Docs: Man accused of killing WA grandmother 'meticulously planned' murder
Boeing 737 reportedly rejected overseas, FOX 13 finds matching jet in Seattle
Seattle high school student shot, killed in Yakima on Easter Sunday
Seattle Kraken fire head coach Dan Bylsma after one season
New structure for 2025 THING Festival in Carnation, WA
How to celebrate Earth Day 2025 in Seattle
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
What it would take to convert a jet from Qatar into Air Force One to safely fly Trump
WASHINGTON — President Trump really wants to fly on an upgraded Air Force One — but making that happen could depend on whether he's willing to cut corners with security. As government lawyers sort out the legal arrangement for accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family, another crucial conversation is unfolding about modifying the plane so it's safe for the American president. Installing capabilities equivalent to the decades-old 747s now used as Air Force One would almost certainly consign the project to a similar fate as Boeing's replacement initiative, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers Thursday that those security modifications would cost less than $400 million but provided no details. Satisfying Trump's desire to use the new plane before the end of his term could require leaving out some of those precautions, however. A White House official said Trump wants the Qatari jet ready as soon as possible while adhering to security standards. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not provide details on equipment issues or the timeline. Trump has survived two assassination attempts, and Iran allegedly also plotted to kill him, so he's well aware of the danger he faces. However, he seems willing to take some chances with security, particularly when it comes to communications. For example, he likes to keep his personal phone handy despite the threat of hacks. He boasted recently that the government got the jet 'for free,' saying, 'We need it as Air Force One until the other ones are done.' Here's a look at what it would take to make the Qatari plane into a presidential transport: Air Force One is the call sign for any plane that's carrying the president. The first aircraft to get the designation was a propeller-powered C-54 Skymaster, which ferried Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in 1945. It featured a conference room with a bulletproof window. Things are a lot more complicated these days. Boeing has spent years stripping down and rebuilding two 747s to replace the versions that have carried presidents for more than three decades. The project is slated to cost more than $5.3 billion and may not be finished before Trump leaves office. A 2021 report made public through the Freedom of Information Act outlines the unclassified requirements for the replacement 747s under construction. At the top of the list — survivability and communications. The government decided more than a decade ago that the new planes had to have four engines so they could remain airborne if one or two fail, said Deborah Lee James, who was Air Force secretary at the time. That creates a challenge because 747s are no longer manufactured, which could make spare parts harder to come by. Air Force One also has to have the highest level of classified communications, anti-jamming capabilities and external protections against foreign surveillance, so the president can securely command military forces and nuclear weapons during a national emergency. It's an extremely sensitive and complex system, including video, voice and data transmissions. James said there are anti-missile measures and shielding against radiation or an electromagnetic pulse that could be caused by a nuclear blast. 'The point is, it remains in flight no matter what,' she said. If the Qatari plane is retrofitted to presidential standards, it could cost $1.5 billion and take years, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that aren't publicly available. Testifying before Congress, Meink discounted such estimates, arguing that some of the costs associated with retrofitting the Qatari plane would have been spent anyway as the Air Force moves to build the long-delayed new presidential planes, including buying aircraft for training and to have spares available if needed. In response, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) said that based on the contract costs for the planes that the Air Force is building, it would cost about $1 billion to strip down the Qatar plane, install encrypted communications, harden its defenses and make other required upgrades. James said simply redoing the wiring means 'you'd have to break that whole thing wide open and almost start from scratch.' Trump, as commander in chief, could waive some of these requirements. He could decide to skip shielding systems from an electromagnetic pulse, leaving his communications more vulnerable in case of a disaster but shaving time off the project. After all, Boeing has already scaled back its original plans for the new 747s. Their range was trimmed by 1,200 nautical miles, and the ability to refuel while airborne was scrapped. Paul Eckloff, a former leader of protection details at the Secret Service, expects the president would get the final say. 'The Secret Service's job is to plan for and mitigate risk,' he said. 'It can never eliminate it.' If Trump does waive some requirements, James said that should be kept under wraps because 'you don't want to advertise to your potential adversaries what the vulnerabilities of this new aircraft might be.' It's unlikely that Trump will want to skimp on the plane's appearance. He keeps a model of a new Air Force One in the Oval Office, complete with a darker color scheme that echoes his personal jet instead of the light blue design that's been used for decades. Trump toured the Qatari plane in February when it was parked at an airport near Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort. Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Allvin was there too. The U.S. official said the jet needs maintenance but not more than what would be expected of a four-engine plane of its complexity. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it would be irresponsible to put the president and national security equipment aboard the Qatari plane 'without knowing that the aircraft is fully capable of withstanding a nuclear attack.' 'It's a waste of taxpayer dollars,' she said. Meanwhile, Boeing's project has been hampered by stress corrosion cracks on the planes and excessive noise in the cabins from the decompression system, among other issues that have delayed delivery, according to a Government Accountability Office report released last year. Boeing referred questions to the Air Force, which said in a statement that it's working with the aircraft manufacturer to find ways to accelerate the delivery of at least one of the 747s. Even so, the aircraft will have to be tested and flown in real-world conditions to ensure no other issues. James said it remains to be seen how Trump would handle any of those challenges. 'The normal course of business would say there could be delays in certifications,' she said. 'But things seem to get waived these days when the president wants it.' Copp and Megerian write for the Associated Press. AP writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Donald Trump wants his new Air Force One as soon as possible. That could be an issue
President Donald Trump really wants to fly on an upgraded Air Force One — but making that happen could depend on whether he's willing to cut corners with security. As government lawyers finalise the legalities of accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family, discussions are underway regarding modifications to ensure the aircraft's suitability for the US president. Integrating capabilities akin to those of the current Air Force One Boeing 747s could mire the project in similar delays and cost overruns as Boeing's replacement initiative. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers on Thursday that security modifications would cost less than $400 million, though specifics were not provided. To meet Donald Trump's desire to utilise the new plane before his term concludes, some security precautions may need to be omitted. A White House official said Trump wants the Qatari jet ready as soon as possible while adhering to security standards. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not provide details on equipment issues or the timeline. Trump has survived two assassination attempts, so he's well aware of the danger he faces. However, he seems willing to take some chances with security, particularly when it comes to communications. For example, he likes to keep his personal phone handy despite the threat of hacks. He boasted this week that the government got the jet 'for free,' saying, 'We need it as Air Force One until the other ones are done.' Air Force One is the call sign for any plane that's carrying the president. The first aircraft to get the designation was a propeller-powered C-54 Skymaster, which ferried Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in 1945. It featured a conference room with a bulletproof window. Things are a lot more complicated these days. Boeing has spent years stripping down and rebuilding two 747s to replace the versions that have carried presidents for more than three decades. The project is slated to cost more than $5.3 billion and may not be finished before Trump leaves office. A 2021 report made public through the Freedom of Information Act outlines the unclassified requirements for the replacement 747s under construction. At the top of the list — survivability and communications. The government decided more than a decade ago that the new planes had to have four engines so they could remain airborne if one or two fail, said Deborah Lee James, who was Air Force secretary at the time. That creates a challenge because 747s are no longer manufactured, which could make spare parts harder to come by. Air Force One also has to have the highest level of classified communications, anti-jamming capabilities and external protections against foreign surveillance, so the president can securely command military forces and nuclear weapons during a national emergency. It's an extremely sensitive and complex system, including video, voice and data transmissions. James said there are anti-missile measures and shielding against radiation or an electromagnetic pulse that could be caused by a nuclear blast. 'The point is, it remains in flight no matter what,' she said. If the Qatari plane is retrofitted to presidential standards, it could cost $1.5 billion and take years, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that aren't publicly available. Testifying before Congress this week, Meink discounted such estimates, arguing that some of the costs associated with retrofitting the Qatari plane would have been spent anyway as the Air Force moves to build the long-delayed new presidential planes, including buying aircraft for training and to have spares available if needed. In response, Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., said that based on the contract costs for the planes that the Air Force is building, it would cost about $1 billion to strip down the Qatar plane, install encrypted communications, harden its defenses and make other required upgrades. James said simply redoing the wiring means 'you'd have to break that whole thing wide open and almost start from scratch." Trump, as commander in chief, could waive some of these requirements. He could decide to skip shielding systems from an electromagnetic pulse, leaving his communications more vulnerable in case of a disaster but shaving time off the project. After all, Boeing has already scaled back its original plans for the new 747s. Their range was trimmed by 1,200 nautical miles, and the ability to refuel while airborne was scrapped. Paul Eckloff, a former leader of protection details at the Secret Service, expects the president would get the final say. 'The Secret Service's job is to plan for and mitigate risk," he said. "It can never eliminate it.' If Trump does waive some requirements, James said that should be kept under wraps because "you don't want to advertise to your potential adversaries what the vulnerabilities of this new aircraft might be.' It's unlikely that Trump will want to skimp on the plane's appearance. He keeps a model of a new Air Force One in the Oval Office, complete with a darker color scheme that echoes his personal jet instead of the light blue design that's been used for decades. Trump toured the Qatari plane in February when it was parked at an airport near Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort. Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Allvin was there, too. The U.S. official said the jet needs maintenance but not more than what would be expected of a four-engine plane of its complexity. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it would be irresponsible to put the president and national security equipment aboard the Qatari plane 'without knowing that the aircraft is fully capable of withstanding a nuclear attack.' 'It's a waste of taxpayer dollars,' she said. Meanwhile, Boeing's project has been hampered by stress corrosion cracks on the planes and excessive noise in the cabins from the decompression system, among other issues that have delayed delivery, according to a Government Accountability Office report released last year. Boeing referred questions to the Air Force, which said in a statement that it's working with the aircraft manufacturer to find ways to accelerate the delivery of at least one of the 747s. Even so, the aircraft will have to be tested and flown in real-world conditions to ensure no other issues. James said it remains to be seen how Trump would handle any of those challenges. 'The normal course of business would say there could be delays in certifications,' she said. 'But things seem to get waived these days when the president wants it.'
Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
Landlocked African nation set to complete major naval facility with Russian support
Ethiopia is set to complete construction of its new Navy Headquarters in the capital, marking a major step in its ambitions to reestablish a national naval force, despite being landlocked for over three decades. Ethiopia is nearing completion of its Navy Headquarters in Addis Ababa, despite being landlocked. The facility spans three hectares and includes various administrative and support structures. A naval cooperation agreement was signed with Russia in 2025 to support naval development. According to Sputnik Africa, Ethiopia's naval facility in Addis Ababa's Janmeda area is reportedly 95% complete. The 3-hectare site boasts a four-story complex that will house administrative offices, a medical clinic, meeting halls, sports facilities, and other support infrastructure, with the project on track for completion as scheduled. This development is part of Ethiopia's broader strategy to reassert itself as a regional power in the Horn of Africa. Despite being landlocked since Eritrea's independence in 1993, Ethiopian authorities argue that maritime capabilities are crucial for safeguarding trade routes, responding to global maritime threats, and ensuring access to international waters via allied ports in Djibouti and Sudan. Ethiopia's deal with Russia Recall that in March 2025, Ethiopia signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian government to support naval development and training. This deal follows the collapse of a previous naval partnership with France, which was initiated in 2018 after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced plans to revive the country's naval forces. The Russo-Ethiopian partnership was forged during a high-level visit by Russian Deputy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vorobyev to Ethiopian naval facilities and a training center in Bishoftu, where he pledged Moscow's support for training personnel and enhancing Ethiopia's naval capabilities. This development unfolds against the backdrop of growing Russian military engagement across Africa. Beyond Ethiopia, Moscow has been expanding its presence in countries like Mali, supplying heavy armored vehicles and reportedly building up military infrastructure. Analysts see Ethiopia's renewed focus on naval power as part of a broader shift in its defense and foreign policy. While critics question the practicality of naval operations for a landlocked state, Ethiopian officials argue that a well-trained navy is vital for national security and regional stability. Historically, Ethiopia maintained a naval force until 1993, with access to the Red Sea via Eritrea. Since losing its coastline, the country has relied heavily on the Port of Djibouti for maritime trade. The current initiative signals an effort to rebuild long-lost capabilities and adapt to the evolving regional security landscape.
