Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, issued these comments regarding the christening of the MV Kennewick, the state's third and final new 64-car ferry, today in Port Townsend:

"This is a great day for Whidbey Island and Port Townsend and all the people the new ferry will serve. My only regret is that I can't attend the christening ceremony because I'm holding an important town hall meeting for the upcoming legislative session.

"This is the final of our three 64-car boats, fulfilling the promise I made when the Steel Electrics were pulled from this route. Now we go to work on the first 144.

“This new vessel will improve service for Whidbey Island while also ensuring continuous service on the Coupeville-Port Townsend route. All three boats meet the constraints of the harbor, so if one goes out of service temporarily, we’ll still have two so we can avoid disruptions and backups.

“Having two boats for the Coupeville-Port Townsend route during peak season is absolutely imperative, and this third boat ensures that. “The three boats combined all came in under budget and on time. This bodes well as we begin work on the new 144-car ferries.

“I want to thank my colleagues, especially Rep. Judy Clibborn, the House Transportation Committee chair, for supporting the needs of the ferry community.”