| October 17, 1989: San Francisco is shaken by a devastating earthquake. The State of Washington responds to the needs of our neighbor by providing passenger-only ferries. Residents are able to get to their jobs, schools and medical facilities.
February 28, 2001: Puget Sound residents are rattled by an earthquake. Bridges are closed, highways damaged, congestion clogs the streets, auto ferry terminals are closed.
Most people probably did not realize one mode of transportation was not affected — passenger-only ferries.
Many communities in Puget Sound depend on ferries for economic development, medical reasons, employment and educational opportunities. Imagine how much worse the aftermath of our recent earthquake could have been had thousands more people opted not to take advantage of our marine highways.
The Ash Wednesday earthquake proves once again that ferries are not a “premium” service. They are vital to our economy, environment and quality of life. In addition, when roads and bridges fail, ferry service is our most reliable means of transporting people, goods and supplies.
The Bremerton Area Chamber of Commerce invites you to join us in our support of affordable, reliable ferry service by contacting your legislators today to remind them that our marine highways need to be reliable highways.
Silvia Klatman
Secretary and Executive Director
Bremerton Area Chamber of Commerce. | 
