||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||
Washington State Ferries will reduce the total number of reservations available during the two-week and two-day releases for the rest of the current season beginning tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 8.
Starting Friday, only 20% of a sailing’s total capacity will open for each release rather than the usual 30%. The adjustment is meant to preserve capacity on existing sailings while also lowering the number of affected customers during service disruptions that cancel sailings. This change will increase reliability and ensure customers with reservations are able to be accommodated when vessels go out of service.
We will continue to monitor the situation and attempt to provide as much service as possible as we navigate the effects of the pandemic and global labor shortages. However, we do anticipate continued service disruptions and reduced service on many routes, necessitating this change to reservations. Customers can stay up-to-date on service changes through rider alerts as well as checking our website and social media accounts.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we work to navigate this difficult time.
The safety of our customers and crew is WSF’s top priority. All traveling customers are required to wear face coverings inside terminals and vessels in compliance with the latest CDC guidelines. However, passengers can remove their masks while outdoors on the sun deck, car deck areas of the vessel, outside waiting areas at terminals and other outdoor locations. Please remember to mask up upon re-entering interior areas of boats and terminals.
Great “solution!” And we thought it was hard enough to plan on ferry travel. Just how this will be “lowering the number of affected customers during service disruptions” is yet another WSF mystery. (Imagine if in times of inclement weather an airline “solution” would be to take fewer bookings!)
I concur with Alex MacLeod’s assertion that it’s long past time our county council members started hollering at State Ferries management. And at the Secretary of Transportation, and the Governor.
What next? Who knows? Surely no one in charge at the ferry system.
This makes no sense at all.
The ferry system seems like a solid fit for infrastructure funding. If only we had adults in Olympia and DC.
Lowering the number of affected passengers by denying them service? Who writes this stuff? Send the comms team out for training as deck crew.
Reduced service, higher costs, excuses galore. It’s the brave new world.
Unacceptable!
If WSF is going to cut reservations, why not cut the 2 month quota by 20%? This would have far less impact on locals trying to get to appointment on the mainland. 30% of each ferry would still go to standby riders. Same result for WSF as rhey would have less riders ro serve in tne event of a cancellation. Lots better for island residents
Or give islanders a priority in making reservations.
Tom,
They couldn’t cut the 2 month quota because it is already released.
The solution is-
San Juan County Council needs to immediately declare a state of emergency. Doing so will allow them the ability to seek emergency action from the Governor. They need the Governor to immediately direct ferries to institute an emergency action plan that specifies a required level of service to San Juan County (and Vashon). Further, the emergency action plan would direct that priority be granted for island bound Food, Freight, Ag Products and all regular and enhanced medical care. Under an emergency order, the normal rules can be suspended.
It is time for our Council to speak with one voice for our residents, and that voice needs to see immediate action to protect the basic health and well-being of our community. We are already past the time for this action. October 18th is now just a week away.
This is classic ‘demand management”, which has been the official service strategy of WSF for many years. Demand management is meant to match service to the available resources, which are in decline.