||| from Bob Distler |||
Mr. Sterling,
It is now 7:10 p.m. [Wednesday, September 9, 2020]
The m/v Samish is not shown on Vessel Watch information, but the map shows the boat in Anacortes.
The m/v Yakima apparently has no schedule, although the map display indicates it is off Lopez.
The WSF schedule for the San Juans has no boat assigned to the number 2 position.
The Vessel Watch map indicates the m/v Chelan is approaching Friday Harbor, but the table below the map says it is in Anacortes for a 7:10 p.m. departure.
There is no terminal information status (space remaining on remaining sailings) displayed on the Anacortes web page.
So if islanders want to know the status of the 7:10 or 9:05 westbound departures, well, they’re out of luck at this time.
The reservations system was unable to be used for the Labor Day’s added afternoon service, and the system’s apparently complex way of managing schedule changes—planned or otherwise—along with severe bandwidth problems at 7:00 each morning, is extremely frustrating. I have been in transportation operations and consulting for my entire career, but have never confronted such a dysfunctional reservations environment.
We understand the stress that WSF is under, what with crew shortages, budget shortfalls and uncertainties, and the February schedule’s inability to accommodate the San Juan Islands service commensurate with late summer traffic levels, even at the current reduced levels owing to the virus. Still, the almost total absence of information that might make it possible to understand what the rest of this operating day holds for us is in my view totally unacceptable.
If all of this were isolated situations there might be some explanation; it is, I regret to say, an almost daily pattern of WSF’s operations in the San Juans, with unexplained delays, incomplete information and a reservations system that is not serving us well.
We deserve better.
(Disclosure: I previously served on the State Transportation Commission and before that as chair of the San Juan Islands Ferry Advisory Committee.)
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Great letter. We certainly do deserve better. It’s time that our State government take responsibility for this abysmal ferry system and address the needs of island residents who have no alternative to the ferries to reach the mainland. Publishing busy holiday advice is worthless.
Assuming the current limited schedule due to COVID-19 is actually the only option, why in the world would the ferry system NOT update the schedule to show realistic departure times?
Asking that people only use the ferries for essential travel is a joke. It’s obvious that all summer, vacation travel has taken space away from island residents who have essential travel needs like medical appointments. There’s really no way to know if you can get a ferry when you’re making an “off island” appointment. Relying on last minute reservations or standby to get to a medical appointment is not acceptable service. Island residents need priority boarding for essential travel year round when reservations are full.
It’s long overdue for the ferry system to take responsibility to provide residents decent service every day.
I concur. Our car was in the ferry line in Anacortes and although we’d been told at 3:30 that the 7:10 was only 10 minutes late as it began it’s last route from Anacortes (to become the 7:10), by the time we returned at 6:30, all that had changed. But, this has happened with the 7:10 all summer and we’ve dealt with it before. My thought yesterday was that if there were a big traffic jam on I-5 every day for days, weeks, months at exactly the same place, there might be some attempt to figure out the problem and fix it.
I can’t understand, as I’ve said before, why the schedule isn’t changed to reflect the reality of the problems the ferry system is experiencing. It would alleviate a lot of frustration!
For the hundredth time….Islanders (locals) should be able to purchase, for any price, a “locals card” and be put in a “locals lane” for priority loading on the Anacortes to San Juan county ferries. Full stop. I would be happy to pay for that service. There is no “non essential travel”. That is a ridiculous statement when there is no enforcement whatsoever. Now we have full lodging….and an all year tourist season because Canada is closed. We will be full on all year. Good luck with the ferries for any trips whenever. Another thing….if a guy from a small eastern Washington town somehow becomes governor. We’re all screwed. Ferries will never recover. So vote.