WSF asks that we limit ferry rides to essential purposes only during upcoming holiday

||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||

Limit holiday ferry travel to essential trips

With guidance to limit gatherings during a time we normally spend with family and friends, the holidays will be different for many this year. We are asking the public to limit rides on our ferries to essential purposes only over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season. If you must ride, be aware that some sailing schedules are different from years past as they are dependent on our COVID Response Service Plan.

Face coverings are required aboard our vessels and at our terminals.
It is OK to remove your mask while inside a vehicle, except at tollbooths.

Lengthy wait times are possible for essential travelers driving a vehicle onto a vessel over the holidays. With Christmas falling on a Friday this year, the Wednesday and Thursday before, and the Saturday and Sunday following the holiday are expected to be the busiest. Delays are possible in both directions on several routes. Historically, far fewer people catch a ferry during the week of the New Year’s holiday.

A special thank you to our many employees working over the holiday season
to make sure our essential travelers get to their destinations safely.

On Friday, Dec. 25, and Friday, Jan. 1, there will be a few schedule changes for the Edmonds/Kingston, Mukilteo/Clinton and Point Defiance/Tahlequah routes. The Seattle/Bainbridge Island route will operate on a Saturday timetable on both days. Holiday sailings are marked on the schedule page for each route.

People catching our ferries for essential trips over the holidays should sign up for our email alerts, check terminal conditions and read our COVID-19 travel updates.

WSF Stewardship Award

We honored Staff Chief Engineer Mark Nitchman with this year’s WSF Stewardship Award today. The award recognizes an individual or team whose efforts help the organization achieve significant savings, efficiency or value in our efforts to care for state resources.

Director of Vessel Engineering and Maintenance Matt Von Ruden and I had the honor of virtually presenting Staff Chief Engineer Mark Nitchman with the WSF Stewardship Award.

Mark works in the engine room of the Puyallup, one of our largest ferries in the fleet. Thanks to his hard work and dedication, it’s one of our most reliable vessels. In addition to his daily responsibilities on Puyallup, Mark also serves as construction staff chief, overseeing the intricate integration details of the vessel’s control system and electric hybridization propulsion upgrades. Thank you, Mark, for the excellent work and the great care you take in preserving our state resources. Job well done and congratulations!