Food & Drink
Ferry Reservation System Fails, New Hotel Planned for Downtown
The top Seattle news stories you should be reading today
By Lauren Mang April 15, 2015

#BlackLivesMatter: Columbia City Gallery is featuring artwork from artist Aramis Hamer that “provides different points of view on the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement,” reports King 5 News. The exhibit will run through mid-May.
If you attempted to try out the new online ferry reservation system for summer travel, you likely experienced a bit of a hiccup. The Washington State Department of Transportation opened the new online reservation system yesterday, but it failed on its first day. According to Komo News, “As of 2:30 p.m., vehicle reservations for summer travel on the San Juan Islands route, Port Townsend/Coupeville ferries and Anacortes/Sidney, B.C. route were unavailable online or by phone.” Repairs to the system are expected to take a week.
Downtown construction news: Another hotel is joining the ranks of spots to stay that are under construction in downtown Seattle. A 16-story hotel will be erected above a garage that is currently in the works next door to an also-in-the-works 40-story tower at Second Avenue and Stewart Street. The Puget Sound Business Journal has more details here.
Felony DUI bill: Yesterday, the House Public Safety Committee heard public testimony on Senate Bill 5015, a measure sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden that would make a fourth DUI conviction within 10 years a felony. Currently, Washington requires five convictions within a 10-year period. “This bill is really about going after those repeat offenders who are putting the public at risk and even taking lives,” Sen. Padden said in a press release. “This change would help deter some people from driving drunk, and take those who refuse to change their behavior off our roads.” The measure passed the Senate unanimously on April 3 and has garnered support from Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who joined Sen. Padden in urging the House to advance the bill.