WSF Weekly Report | 20.1 million customers in 2025; Governor signs ferry bill; summer reservations open Tuesday

||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||

A message from Steve

In 2025 we carried 20.1 million customers, nearly 1 million more than the previous year. That translates to 152,592 sailings. Each one starts and ends at a ferry terminal. Only 22 trips were canceled for terminal-related issues last year. While zero is the goal, 22 is a low number and a testament to our 80 terminal engineering employees. They quietly keep the many moving parts of our terminals in ship shape so vessels can load and unload safely and on time. Their team includes structural, mechanical, electrical, civil and architectural engineers. They inspect, monitor and maintain every part of a ferry slip – dolphins, wingwalls, aprons, transfer spans and trestles – along with everything on land – buildings, holding lanes and sidewalks. They check these assets on a regular cycle and strategically apply our funding on the terminals that need it most. At the same time, they plan for sea-level rise, a 1000-year earthquake and tsunamis.

For example, our current project at Kingston terminal adds seismic pods in the water near the trestle. They are designed to absorb and reduce movement of the dock during an earthquake. They’re also installing a bulkhead to preserve access to slip one during a seismic event. This project nabbed our agency’s 2024 Excellence in Design Award for a terminal preservation project. Another example is our Eagle Harbor weld shop replacement project underway at our maintenance facility. It builds a larger, modern facility for our weld shop employees who are vital in keeping our boats and terminals in working order. Last month, WSDOT awarded it the 2025 Excellence in Design Award – the same award our Kingston project won the year before.

Rendering of the weld shop currently under construction at our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility. It will replace the current weld shop, which is cramped and outdated.

Terminal engineering’s work casts a wide net at WSF. Before projects begin, the team works with terminal operators and our external relations staff to gather input from riders and crews. They also work with federal, state, local and tribal governments and ecology departments to meet regulations and secure permits. The process is long and it’s built into the planning for each project. Terminal Engineering Director Nicole McIntosh says, “We are the industry standard for other ferry systems.”

Like the vessel side of operations, terminal engineering focuses on recruitment and workforce development. They bring in college students for paid internships and build our current workforce. A long-time engineer preparing for retirement, for example, is already training his replacement. Looking to the future, terminal engineering recently hired an engineer specializing in seismic vulnerability assessment and retrofitting. All to continue preparing for the future and protecting our infrastructure in an earthquake-prone region.  

Governor signs supplemental transportation budget

On Tuesday, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the 2026 supplemental transportation budget, also known as Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6005. Lawmakers passed the bill at the end of this year’s 60-day session. This budget adds funding to the two-year spending plan approved last year. It includes money to help build our first three new hybrid-electric ferries at Eastern Shipbuilding Group. It also funds electrification work at three terminals. In addition, it provides more funding for vessel maintenance and preservation over the next six years. Other highlights include:

• $500,000 for a study on whether the state should build its own drydock. Drydock space in the region is limited. Military and other vessels often get priority. Because of this, we must plan maintenance far in advance, leaving little flexibility for urgent needs.
• $254,000 for warehouse and procurement staff. This will help improve how we manage parts and supplies.
• $2 million for a rapid response maintenance team. This team will handle urgent vessel repairs quickly.

The budget also includes approximately $19 million over six years to improve and expand our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility.

Vehicle reservations for summer sailing season available at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 14

Vehicle reservations for summer (June 14 to Sept. 19) will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14. For our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route, we will release 30% of vehicle reservations space, with another 30% becoming available two weeks before each sailing and the final 30% opening two days before each sailing. Both the two-week and two-day releases are at 7 a.m. For our Port Townsend/Coupeville run, 80% of vehicle reservations will open on April 14. For both routes, the remaining space is held for emergency and stand-by vehicles.

Our Port Townsend/Coupeville route schedule will increase to two-boat service daily for our summer sailing season through Monday, Oct. 12.

Weigh in on Southworth terminal plans

We’re working on plans to upgrade our Southworth terminal, including replacing the current building, which is not designed to handle a major earthquake. Four options are on the table. These range from updating the existing structure to constructing a new building, either in the same spot or closer to the parking area. Each option is being studied to understand their effects on riders, daily operations and the environment. You can learn more and share your feedback by visiting our online open house, open through Sunday, April 5.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and serves as an important reminder to stay focused behind the wheel. On our ferries and in our terminals, your attention really matters. Our employees are out there every day, often working right in the flow of traffic, and they count on drivers to stay alert. One of the biggest concerns we see is cell phone use. Please remember that our ferry system is part of the state highway network and the same distracted driving laws apply.

When you’re driving onto a vessel, please stay focused, look to our crew for direction and make eye contact to help keep everyone safe.

Sailing stats for week of March 23-29

For the week of March 23-29, our systemwide on-time performance (sailings that left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure) was 89.4%. By comparison, it was 85.2% during a similar week last year (March 24-30, 2025). To view our on-time performance by month going back to 2017, visit our on-time performance reports page.

Customer kudos

“I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all the work you put into the ferry system. I’m particularly impressed with the condition of the (ferries). They are always clean and neat. The fares are very low for what you get in the service. The people working on the ferries are very efficient and professional. Many people will give you negative comments because of one bad experience and so forth. On the other hand I am very grateful for all that you do. Thank you very much.”