State may have more than $9 million for Whatcom transportation. Here’s how it would be used
A transportation measure making its way through the state Legislature includes $5.3 million to help replace the Lummi Island ferry and build a bike trail near Kendall, Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu said this week.
Four bills known collectively as Move Ahead Washington, Senate Bills 5974 and 5975 and House Bills 2118 and 2119, are part of a $16 billion transportation proposal for Washington state.
They include money for ferries, high-speed rail, and bicycle and pedestrian projects — all aimed at fighting climate change by reducing carbon emissions.
“The proposed transportation budget represents a substantial and smart investment in infrastructure, and I am pleased to see Whatcom County’s priorities on the project list,” Sidhu said in a statement Thursday, Feb. 10.
“These include investments in the Lummi Island ferry modernization project and the Kendall Trail. I commend the work of our legislators from the 42nd and 40th legislative districts for their tireless efforts in support of Whatcom County’s funding requests.”
Ferry funds will be used for work at the ferry terminals to prepare them for a new ferry boat, Sidhu said.
M/V Whatcom Chief, which was built in 1962, provides the only public access for visitors and the island’s approximately 900 residents.
Whatcom Chief is a 94-foot ferry that can carry 100 passengers and 20 cars on the eight-minute ride across Hale Passage.
Cost to replace the ferry with a new vessel and remodel the ferry docks was estimated at $35 million in March, according to previous Bellingham Herald reporting.
Also included in the package of bills is $4.1 million for the Kendall Trail, which will provide a biking and walking path along State Route 547 from Sumas to Kendall.
