Signs for Cautious Optimism for SJC after the Bridge Collapse

Just got this notice from the office of Emergency Management Director Brendan Cowan:

A diverse array of local elected officials, government staff, and business representatives from each of the San Juan Islands have been working hard this weekend to monitor and manage impacts from the I-5 bridge collapse on the islands’ economy.

Said San Juan County Council Member Rick Hughes from Orcas Island, “Key people began talking on Thursday night, and on Friday morning we had a meeting with Duncan Wilson from the Town of Friday Harbor, our Emergency Manager, Brendan Cowan, Deborah Hopkins Buchanan from the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, and Bob Jean from the County.”

The immediate concern of all involved was understanding the implications of the collapse and working to communicate information on reroutes and impacts to visitors, businesses, and residents. “We’ve been working hard to get positive information out there, and to try to deliver a more informative and detailed message than what we’ve been seeing from DOT. The reality is that there are lots of alternate routes available, and we want to make sure the message that the islands are open for business is heard loud and clear.” said Friday Harbor Administrator Duncan Wilson.

“Emergency Management Director Cowan has been hosting regular conference calls with the Chambers, Visitor’s Bureau, and local government, and State Senator Kevin Ranker who is working closely with the Governor’s Office and other State agencies, and the cooperation has been great. We’ve really tried to craft an accurate, clear, and consistent message” said Friday Harbor Mayor Carrie Lacher. Added Deborah Hopkins Buchanan from the Visitors’ Bureau, “Our island businesses have really done an amazing job of reaching out directly to their guests and clients- sharing information with them and helping them figure out how best to get to the islands. It’s a real County-wide effort.”

While it’s too soon to know for sure, there is a sense of very cautious optimism. Vehicle traffic on the ferries was up slightly for Friday from a year ago, and anecdotal reports suggest that cancellations have been relatively rare.

“We’re sure to see negative effects,” highlighted County Council Member Bob Jarman from San Juan Island, “but we need to do everything we can to help minimize them. We’re headed into summer, and the bridge isn’t going to be fixed right away. We’d like to encourage any businesses that are losing revenue to report that information to their island Chamber of Commerce so that we can really understand the full extent of the impacts.”

As Governor Inslee announced on Sunday, a temporary bridge could be in place by mid-June. Given initial predictions of up to three months, that’s good news, but until a new bridge is in place, everyone coming to or from the islands needs to give themselves a bit of extra time and anticipate possible delays at peak travel times.

Emergency Management Director Brendan Cowan noted that “Many travelers have made the trip to Anacortes this weekend with no delays at all- but there have been periods of back up on Best Rd. and other routes. DOT is fine tuning the process, and things will get better, but this will be an inconvenience for the near future. Patience, flexibility, and a bit of ingenuity will go a long way- common traits for islanders and island visitors alike.”

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