New funding approved late last month in Olympia will start the process of building the state’s next ferry, keep construction rolling at Colman Dock in Seattle and pay for the conversion of an existing ferry to run on electric power.

State lawmakers approved funding for a handful of major Washington State Ferries projects in the recently completed legislative session, sending them to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature. Here’s how the money shook out.

New hybrid ferry on the way

Legislators approved funding for a new state ferry, a 144-vehicle hybrid vessel that WSF estimates could be built in two to three years. The vessel would be the state’s fifth Olympic-class vessel, but with a twist. The vessel would have diesel engines that power a battery bank that in turn power the vessel but would also be capable of running completely off electric power drawn from a dock, WSF spokesman Ian Sterling said.

Legislators appropriated $99 million toward the new vessel in the 2019-2021 biennium with the intent of dedicating an additional $89 million in the following biennium. The $188 million total would pay for the new vessel, cover the costs of tweaking the vessel’s design and begin paying for “long-lead-time” parts for a second vessel, said Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island.

A bill approved by lawmakers allows the state to extend its existing contract with shipbuilder Vigor Industrial, which built the existing Olympic-class vessels, to build up to five additional 144-vehicle vessels. Money for the new vessel would come from a pair of funding mechanisms approved by lawmakers: boosted fees statewide for registering and titling a vehicle, and for fares to ride a state ferry.

'Urgent need' for fifth ferry

The service fee for changes to a title certificate would jump from $12 to $15 and for a registration renewal from $5 to $8. Those fees are estimated to raise roughly $19 million and $20.2 million in the 2019-2021 and 2021-2023 biennia, respectively, according to legislative documents.

How much fares will jump is an open question. Legislators directed the state’s Transportation Commission to determine and implement the increase necessary to fund the debt service for a new vessel, capping the increase at 10 percent.

“I’d rather it all be statewide (funding),” Rolfes said. “It’s a state highway system, we pay fares the way people pay fares on (Highway) 405 or on the (Highway) 520 bridge, but there is an urgent need for the fifth boat and there was no bigger funding package put before Legislature to help construct that. We kind of cobbled together the funding for that last boat.”

Rep. Michelle Caldier, R-Port Orchard, cast one of the two votes in both Houses against the transportation budget sent to Gov. Inslee, saying she was disappointed that the state was sidestepping a competitive bidding process and said she was unhappy with the quality of Vigor’s work.

“We’re paying a Nordstrom price for a Walmart product and I’m not happy with that,” she said.

Colman Dock work will continue

Legislators signed off on another large funding ask from WSF, approving about $82 million in spending authority to continue construction work at Colman Dock through 2023. About $79 million of the money will come from state money and $3 million through a federal grant, paying for planned but previously unfunded pieces of the ongoing reconstruction of the Seattle ferry terminal, said WSF spokesperson Broch Bender.

Related:State officials ask for $100 million more for Colman Dock ferry terminal

Legislators declined, however, to fund $13 million in risk reserves that the agency had requested for the project.

“If they need, they can come back and ask,” Rolfes said. “Money was tight and so the budget writers did not want to put money aside if that wasn’t going to be needed.”

The total budget for the project is set at $455 million, according to legislative budget documents.

Work needed on other ferries

Legislators also appropriated $41.5 million toward converting one or two of the state’s three Jumbo Mark II-class vessels to hybrid-electric power. Sterling, with WSF, said a vessel would be converted by removing some of its diesel engines and replacing them with battery packs that would allow the vessel to run off the diesel power or off electric power from the dock.

Rolfes said $35 million of the funds will come from the state’s $112 million settlement with Volkswagen out of the company’s emissions cheating scandal.

Legislators appropriated $600,000 to develop a request for proposals for converting the three vessels and making charging modifications to the Seattle, Bainbridge, Edmonds and Kingston terminals.

More:Once home to square dances, ferry Hyak headed toward retirement

Lawmakers didn’t designate funding to maintain the ferry Hyak, one of the state’s oldest vessels at 52 years old, beyond the end of the state’s fiscal year at the end of June. The move means the vessel will likely head to retirement, shrinking the state’s fleet to 22 vessels total amidst the busy summer season.

Hyak has plied the waters of Puget Sound since 1967, serving on almost every route but primarily Bremerton-Seattle, Kingston-Edmonds and in the San Juan Islands.