Letter: Let your representative know the changes wanted

Editor,

We all know that government is slow, at least when it comes to accomplishing something worthwhile. I’ve been riding ferries all my life, and while the Mukilteo/Clinton run is finally receiving the attention it deserves from WSF, it still blocks visitors to Whidbey unless they wait in line and pay a car fare.

Years ago WSF took the position that parking in Mukilteo was not a high priority, the state gave their waterfront park to the City of Mukilteo and begin planning a new terminal facility without providing parking to visitors to Whidbey. If you want to park and walk on, you better be back in four hours or Mukilteo will ticket you.

As your Port Commissioner, I found what I believe is a great solution and it comes with the help of the Tulalip tribe. The tribe is willing to let the Port of South Whidbey find state funding to build a parking lot on their land next to the new ferry terminal. It is the culmination of many years of negotiation involving the City of Mukilteo, the Port of Everett, the Tulalip Tribe and the Port of South Whidbey.

Since we couldn’t get Ferries to acknowledge this problem, we’re solving it ourselves, thanks tribal leaders, Norma Smith of Clinton and Sen. Marko Liias of Mukilteo (Republican working with Democrat). We’ve acquired a grant from the State to design, permit, study traffic impacts and mitigate for those. It won’t be easy getting this past the first steps, but if we can stay on track and keep pushing the advantage to all, even the folks in downtown Mukilteo that see this as another potentially negative ferry traffic impact, we have a chance to get this done together. Collaboration really can work. Let your representatives know that this is important to you every chance you get.

Curt Gordon

Clinton