||| FROM KOMO NEWS |||
SEATTLE — Travelers riding on Washington State Ferries (WSF) Thanksgiving week can expect long lines and possible last-minute schedule changes.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said nearly 300,000 people are expected aboard Washington ferries from Wednesday through Saturday. The Edmonds/Kingston route will be reduced from a two-boat service to a one-boat service as seven of WSF’s 21-vessel fleet are out of commission either for emergency repairs or planned maintenance, according to the WSDOT.
The busiest sailings for vehicles, according to the WSDOT, will likely be westbound — or onto an island — Wednesday and Thursday, then eastbound — returning from an island — Friday and Saturday. The WSDOT urged customers to consider early-morning or late-night sailings, or getting to the ferry by walking, biking or using transit.
“Ferry travelers should also prepare for possible last-minute schedule changes,” the WSDOT wrote in its press release. “Sailings may be delayed or canceled with short notice due to WSF’s current lack of relief crewing or an unexpected mechanical issue within the system’s aging fleet.”
The WSDOT encourages travelers to use its mobile app to monitor service updates and real-time conditions.
