No break on fares, no ferry ads. Deal?

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Boat shopping can be tricky.

But since the state is in the market following the recent failure of 80-year-old ferries on the Port Townsend-Keystone run, we might suggest a sleeker, more modern shape – something like, say, a soda bottle. Or an athletic shoe. Aside from buoyancy, both would maximize opportunities for Washington State Ferries latest venture; advertising on ferries.

By now, readers have probably noticed several large ads plastered on the interiors of ferries serving the island. As reported in these pages Saturday, Washington State Ferries will be paid $39,000 per month for the ads, which feature a California-based purveyor of backpacks. Some already are griping about the corporatization of a state icon, and to an extent we agree. The pursuit of consumer dollars has increasingly pushed marketing into some ridiculous – and previously unheard of – areas. Auctioning off the naming rights of one’s own person is among the goofier examples in recent memory. More relevant and practical examples include the naming rights for stadiums and other public buildings. Not to mention that ads have long been a source of revenue for nearly every other form of public transportation, including ferry systems elsewhere. Witness the commercial “wraps” that envelop many transit buses.

But until now, WSF ferries have remained pristine, save for a smattering of tourist brochures at one end of the vessel. Were fares not already inordinately – some would say, immorally – high, it would make sense to fight the encroachment of advertising. But the additional revenue and – more importantly for commuters and other ferry riders, the potential for lower fares – may offset the momentary annoyance caused by a few large and obtrusive posters. Of course that hinges on WSF doing the right thing by using the money – since it’s coming from the operations side of the ferries’ ledger – to offset its operations shortfall rather than its capital program. Recent Legislature-directed inquiries and the failures of the Port Townsend boats can attest to floundering on the capital side. But if riders have to look at ads, they should directly benefit through breaks at the fare-box. No breaks, no ads. Deal?

Too, we should all remember that potential ad revenue is just a drop in the bucket compared to the ferry system’s overall funding needs. The recent ferry financing study showed that fares generate 76 percent of WSF revenue – astronomically high compared to other public transit – while the system had an estimated $410 million worth of unfunded capital projects even before the problems on the Port Townsend run. Now that they’ve uncovered the magnitude of the problem, it’s incumbent on the Legislature to do something about it.

In the meantime, we assume that any eye-rolling over the ads will give way to indifference, especially if they equate to fare-box savings. If future ads get too big or obtrusive, or if the financial gain proves unsubstantial, riders can and should speak up. We’re pretty sure commuters would rise up long before boats became floating billboards or, heaven forbid, floating shoes.

You can’t maximize revenue without pushing consumers’ limits, and we’re about to find out what those limits are. Come on, WSF. Just do it.