The board of the King County Ferry District has adopted a plan, budget and financing for the operation next year of the West Seattle Water Taxi and the Vashon Island passenger-only ferry.

Besides the Vashon ferry and year-around Water Taxi, the council also approved five "demonstration routes."

"The Elliott Bay Water Taxi and the Vashon passenger-only ferry are proven successes, taking cars off our roads and giving commuters better choices to get where they need to go," said ferry board member Dow Constantine. "I am pleased that we have secured a stable funding source to keep these vital services going - and I'm excited about the opportunity to expand that success throughout the county."

The Legislature in 2003 authorized counties to create local ferry districts whose sole source of revenue is a property tax assessment. Eighteen speakers testified at a public hearing Nov. 8 in favor of the District's funding plan, proposed by County Executive Ron Sims as a levy of 5.5 cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation per year. The Ferry District Board adopted that plan, which will generate $18.3 million per year to fund:

Washington State Ferries currently operates the Vashon passenger-only ferry, but the Legislature in 2006 voted to end state funding for passenger-only ferries last June 30, but lawmakers agreed to extend the Vashon service if King County would assume financial responsibility for the Vashon ferry by July 1, 2008, and assume full operation of the route in July 2009.

Year-round operation of the Elliott Bay Water Taxi linking downtown and West Seattle will be in effect by 2010, the ferry board said.

Five future demonstration routes linking Seattle with the local shoreline communities of Kirkland/Eastside, Kenmore/North Lake Washington, Shilshole/North Puget Sound, Renton/South Lake Washington, and Des Moines/South Puget Sound, with funding sufficient to turn successful demonstrations into permanent routes.

All routes will be supported by shuttle services to deliver commuters to docks and connect them with park-and-ride lots and other modes of transportation.

Former Port of Seattle Commissioner Jack Block Sr., credited the district with "a strong and a bold move to advocate the rebirth of the Mosquito Fleet."

Patti Mullen, executive director of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, said the year-round Water Taxi service, "will be providing the community with a gift - the gift of a reasonable commute."

The Metropolitan King County Council created the King County Ferry District on April 30 to expand transportation options for county residents through provision of waterborne transit services. All nine members of the County Council sit as the King County Ferry District Board of Directors.