Weekly WSF update

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

Service restoration update

As we continue to focus on building back our service, I want to prepare our riders that route-by-route restoration will be a slow turn of the dial rather than a flip of the switch. Since November, we’ve been trialing a full schedule on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route. While we’ve been able to operate a normal schedule there a vast majority of the time over the past month, we had to cancel Interisland service yesterday afternoon through tomorrow due to crewing constraints. Part of the issue is that we currently have 15 deck employees out for six weeks of training to become mates, which will be incredibly helpful with our crewing situation when they graduate next month.

Director of Marine Operations Steve Nevey welcomes existing deck employees during new mate orientation class last week.

With new employees coming aboard and existing crews advancing into licensed positions, we’re now gearing up to incrementally restore service on other routes based on ridership and alternative access options. We will share more on that in the weeks ahead. As I’ve said before, we know and understand that our alternate service schedules are causing many challenges for riders. We’re doing everything we can to increase sailings to pre-pandemic levels. I encourage riders to sign up for our rider alerts to stay updated on what schedule we’re operating on each route each day.

New bicycle stations at Bremerton terminal

Thanks to a donation from the West Sound Cycling Club, there are new bike stations that can accommodate up to 16 bicycles, as well as a bike repair station, at the Bremerton Transportation Center! Kitsap Transit handled the installation of the stations, and our staff is managing the removal of the old bicycle racks and the addition of new signage for bike access through the facility.

Thirteen bike stations and a repair station (background in red) on the ground level at Bremerton terminal. Another three stations are located on First Street.

There are two remaining old bike racks that will eventually be removed. Signs are posted for all bicycles to be removed from them by March 5.

100% of our crew complete whale tutorial

In conjunction with World Whale Day this past Sunday, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s ECHO Program revamped its Whales in our Waters tutorial, an interactive online course designed to help professional mariners test their knowledge of local species and learn how to navigate their vessels safely in their presence. All our crewmembers must complete this training. Kudos to our Technical Training Consultant Andrew Tomko for earning us a 100% completion rate! I encourage you to check out the tutorial yourself and brush up on your whale knowledge!