BY DAVID BAKER AND BOB FERGUSON

Imagine a different kind of commute — sipping coffee on a boat as you glide over Lake Washington and watch the day break over Mount Rainier; stepping off a dock and onto a bus that sweeps you off to your final destination in a matter of minutes. Now, contrast that to your current battle through bumper-to-bumper traffic as you inch your way along miles of pavement. It is time to make water-taxi service across Lake Washington a viable way to travel.

Traffic congestion is a part of daily life in North King County, and with tolling likely on the 520 Bridge, traffic on Bothell Way, Lake City Way and the surrounding arterials will only increase as commuters seek to avoid paying tolls. Right at our doorstep, however, lies an open waterway that provides a transportation option — Lake Washington.

The King County Ferry District is working to implement this option by bringing water-taxi service to the lake. Formed in 2007, the Ferry District runs the Vashon Island and West Seattle water-taxi service routes and is working to expand water-taxi service through new demonstration routes, including a potential Kenmore-to-Seattle route.

As Northwest natives know, the Ferry District is not a new idea, but rather a return of the “mosquito fleet.” More than 140 years ago, the steamer “Minnie Mae” shuttled passengers from Bothell and other Lake Washington communities to Seattle’s Union Bay. In the 1880s, the 40-foot “Squak” ran daily from Seattle’s Madison Park to north Lake Washington and was the first passenger vessel to operate on the Sammamish Slough.

Today, King County is poised to rejoin San Francisco and Vancouver as a vibrant water commuting region. This past summer, more than 182,000 people rode the water taxi from West Seattle’s Seacrest Park to downtown Seattle. This summer, the Ferry District will implement special event service on Lake Washington, and in 2010, an expansion of water-taxi service to Lake Washington is planned.

Kenmore, Kirkland and Renton have all been identified as potential points of service to and from Seattle, and technical work is being done to determine the viability of each location. As elected officials representing north-end residents, we want to see Kenmore at the top of the list when it comes to the selection of the inaugural Lake Washington water-taxi service route.

Community input and support will play a key role in bringing ferry service to Kenmore. In the fall, the Ferry District hosted a listening tour for residents and local officials from Lake Forest Park, Kenmore and Bothell. The tour provided an opportunity for the community to offer feedback about the proposed water-taxi service and discuss what needs to be done to make the route a success. The response from these discussions was very positive.

On March 24, we will co-host a town-hall meeting regarding the King County Ferry District and the proposed Kenmore-to-Seattle water-taxi route. The meeting will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Northshore Utility District Building, 6830 N.E. 185th St., Kenmore. A reception begins at 6:30 p.m. We hope you can join us to learn more and share your views on this important subject.

King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson represents District One, which includes Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, North Seattle and parts of Woodinville and unincorporated King County. He is also a King County Ferry District Board member. He can be reached at bob.ferguson@kingcounty.gov or (206) 296-1001.

Kenmore Mayor David Baker has actively lobbied the King County Council and King County Ferry District supporting Kenmore as the first demonstration route on Lake Washington. He can be reached at dbaker@ci.kenmore.wa.us or (425) 398-8900.