Some things you may want to know about 4th of July ferrying

||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||

Fourth of July holiday ferry travel

If your Independence Day weekend travel plans include a ride on our ferries, prepare for long waits if boarding in a vehicle. All riders should regularly check our online sailing schedules, as some timetables are dependent on crewing levels. Schedules are likely to change most frequently on the Edmonds/Kingston route, where a second boat is added daily if crews are available. Customers are encouraged to sign up for rider alerts to receive an update each night and morning on what schedule is operating on each run.

The busiest sailings will be westbound (or onto an island) Thursday, June 30 and Friday, July 1, then eastbound (or off island) Monday and Tuesday, July 4-5.

Before heading to a terminal or boarding, people driving on board should check terminal conditions. Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes also offer vehicle reservations. People using state highways to get to the ferry terminal should plan for potential holiday travel backups and delays by checking real-time traffic information on the WSDOT traffic app for mobile devices or online using the updated WSDOT travel map feature.

Work begins on replacing overhead walkway at Bainbridge terminal

Construction is underway to replace the wooden overhead walkway at our Bainbridge terminal. The new steel walkway will be seismically sound, as well as straighter and wider than the current one. The project will also refresh old mechanical and electrical components that power the existing moveable transfer span that connects the walkway to a ferry. Crews recently moved trailers to the site. After the July Fourth holiday, they’ll remove the barrier between the holding and exit lanes to create a work zone. This will reduce some holding lane capacity. Our staff will be on hand to direct traffic. The project is scheduled to be complete in early 2024..

Crab pots and ferries don’t mix

Ferries and crabbing are synonymous with the Pacific Northwest, but that doesn’t mean they should tangle with each other. With most areas of Puget Sound opening for recreational crab fishing tomorrow, July 1, we want to remind crab fishers to avoid our ferry lanes. The Northwest Straits Initiative has more strategies for a successful crabbing experience.

Galley food service reopens on 3 more routes

Our food vendor Sodexo USA recently reopened the onboard galleys on three routes in its second step of a phased reopening. On June 25, service was added aboard the #1 vessel on each the following routes: Mukilteo/Clinton, Fauntleroy/Vashon/ Southworth and Port Townsend/Coupeville. Sodexo USA reopened the following galleys in its first phase in April: Seattle/ Bainbridge (#1 vessel), Seattle/Bremerton (#2 vessel), Edmonds/Kingston (#1 vessel) and Anacortes/ San Juan Islands (#1 and #3 vessels). Hours may be limited, and the galley may not be open every day due to limited staffing.