THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	116
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING AN INTERISLAND FERRY SYSTEM SIMILAR TO THE FERRY SYSTEMS OPERATED BY WASHINGTON STATE AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS.

 

 

     WHEREAS, unlike other states, Hawaii does not enjoy the benefit of being linked to other states, cities, or towns via the federal interstate highway system or a network of interconnected state and local highways; and

 

     WHEREAS, air transportation is currently the only efficient means of travel between Hawaii's major islands; and

 

     WHEREAS, an interisland ferry system can serve as an efficient alternative for transporting passengers and cargo; and

 

     WHEREAS, Washington State Ferries, which is part of the Washington State Department of Transportation, operates the largest ferry system in the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, with twenty-two ferries traversing the Puget Sound and its inland waterways, Washington State Ferries serves as a marine highway for commercial users, tourists, and daily commuters; and

 

     WHEREAS, Washington State Ferries employs approximately eighteen hundred people and is Washington's most popular tourist attraction; and

 

     WHEREAS, other jurisdictions with successful ferry systems include Alaska, New Zealand, and Australia/Tasmania; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, that the Department of Transportation is requested to study the feasibility of establishing an interisland ferry system similar to the ferry systems operated by Washington State and other jurisdictions; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to emphasize compliance of an interisland ferry system with the State's environmental protection laws, including chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to identify appropriate routes and harbors for an interisland ferry system; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to consider:

 

     (1)  Potential costs and revenues of an interisland ferry system;

 

     (2)  Financing options for an interisland ferry system, including the establishment of rates or fees to address operating costs; and

 

     (3)  Parameters of an interisland ferry system, including vessel design and speed, passenger capacity, cargo capacity, automobile capacity, and compatibility with harbor infrastructure; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2016; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau assist the Department of Transportation in the preparation of its report to the Legislature on findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation and Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Report Title: 

Interisland Ferry; Washington State Ferries