County Council discusses ferry service with Gov. Ferguson at Orcas community meeting

The strong relationship between state and local officials was on display as San Juan County’s Council, along with other community leaders, joined in an honest discussion of islanders’ transportation needs.

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

This week, the San Juan County Council attended a community meeting on Orcas Island, hosted by Governor Bob Ferguson, to address questions about Washington State Ferry (WSF) service in the San Juan Islands.  

“It’s great to see so many folks show up to talk about the future of ferries here in Washington State,” began Governor Ferguson. “Our goal is to hear from all of you – the good, the bad, and what needs improvement.”  

WA State officials, including WSF Deputy Assistant Secretary John Vezina, acknowledged the strong relationship between state and local officials was on display as San Juan County’s Council, along with community leaders from the Town of Friday Harbor, the school districts, local environmental groups, the Chambers of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, the Economic Development Council, OPALCO, Friends of the San Juans, and more joined in an honest discussion of islanders’ transportation needs.  

“The Council–” said WSF Deputy Assistant Secretary John Vezina, “They are such strong advocates for you all and telling us what’s going on. It’s really important.”  

Vezina, along with other WA State officials including WSDOT Transportation Secretary Julie Meredith and WSF Deputy Secretary Steve Nevey shared details of recent updates to the WSF system, including:  

• The Wenatchee, one of WSF’s largest vessels, completed it hybrid-electric conversion and is back in service this summer. 
• Other hybrid-electric conversions have been paused as the Governor is prioritizing “vessels in the water.” 
• Governor Ferguson has selected Eastern Shipbuilding Group to fabricate three new 160-vehicle hybrid-electric ferries to replace the aging fleet. 
• WSF Deputy Secretary Steve Nevey was added to the Governor’s cabinet, thus further emphasizing the Governor’s focus on prioritizing the ferry system. 

WSF leadership also noted the updated ferry schedules developed by island residents, ongoing efforts to build a strong workforce through training opportunities and higher wages, and improvements to the reliability of the interisland route up to 98% from last year’s 95%.  

“We understand that every route that is cancelled is a challenge for all of you and we need to do better,” said Vezina.  

In keeping with the stated intent of the meeting, the majority of time was spent answering questions from the public. Community question topics included:  

• The reservation system: Community members asked about ways to improve the reservation system. Some noted trouble securing reservations while others questioned the need for a reservation at all. WSF leadership shared that they are developing a new reservation system, served by the cloud, in an effort to improve capacity. 
• Walk-on ferry / water taxi service: Several community members raised questions about the possibility of funding a water taxi or other foot-passenger option. WSF leadership shared that a recently conducted walk-on passenger survey revealed high interest in traveling without a vehicle. Councilmember Paulsen shared that part of the County’s marine transport project was analyzing the local need, and that a broader community conversation regarding support would be helpful. 
• WSF crewing: Questions were raised about crew shortages – is there a floating engineer to address engine problems across multiple boats? Does WSF take crew from one boat to fill another? In both cases, WSF staff clarified that engineers are assigned to one boat and deck crews are assigned to routes. WSF is working to cross-train engineers whenever possible. Additionally, WSF staff clarified that crews are not pulled from other boats or routes to support a certain run. 
• The impact of service disruptions on medical services: Several community members shared stories of service disruptions that hindered their ability to receive or provide medical care. They urged WSF staff to coordinate vessel space to accommodate stranded passengers and to improve service. “We know you deserve better service – we’re doing the best we can right now with the resources we have but it’s going to get better. When you talk about the impacts of not being able to get to your medical appointments, let alone work or other things, is something we feel deeply,” said Vezina. 

The meeting ended with a message of teamwork. “Getting our ferry system where we want it – it’s a team effort,” said Governor Ferguson. “And part of that team effort is all of you.”  

San Juan County Council reviewed the results of the County’s Marine Transportation Pilot Project during the July 15 Council meeting and will continue conversations regarding transportation throughout 2025.