WSF Weekly Report | ADA anniversary; contract for new ferry propulsion; sailing stats

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

A message from Steve

Tomorrow, July 26, is the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a watershed piece of legislation that instituted the protection of civil rights of people with disabilities across our nation. The ADA was intended to make public life accessible and inclusive, from physical requirements such as adding ramps for safer wheelchair use to legal consequences for discriminatory practices in hiring and employment.

While a critical milestone for equality, 34 years later we have not lived up to the full intent of the law. The reality is, since the ADA was passed, implementation and enforcement have been sporadic and those with disabilities are left to advocate for themselves, fighting still for rights already outlined and defined to be implemented and enforced.

Directional tactile ground surface indicators at Colman Dock lead customers to the Seattle terminal building.

WSF is committed to ensuring our public spaces are accessible to all. Our terminal engineering team has recently had a lot of success in adding accessible features into our existing terminals. We are also constantly looking for ways to improve our service so customers can trust they’ll be taken care of while both on and off the vessel. WSDOT is hosting a virtual meeting at 2 p.m. tomorrow, July 26, to hear public feedback about our ADA Transition Plan, which outlines our agency’s commitment to accessibility. Advance registration is required. It’s one of my goals to make sure we’re constantly improving and working to make our public ferry system accessible for all members of the public.

Partnership with ABB for new hybrid-electric ferry propulsion systems

We signed a contract last week with electrification technology leader ABB to serve as the propulsion system integrator for our five new hybrid-electric ferries. The company will support vessel design and construction, including the propulsion system that will power the new 160-car ferries, from the engine and batteries to the propellers. ABB will be a key partner to the shipbuilder(s) when we award one or two contracts in early 2025. They will also assist with crew training when the first two vessels are expected to be delivered in 2028.  

Fauntleroy terminal project advisory group meetings

Our Fauntleroy terminal replacement project team brought together its community and technical advisory groups last week to discuss the results of a recent traffic analysis of the alternatives under consideration. The meetings provided a traffic simulation, which revealed various time savings and impacts on the terminal’s queue for each of the seven Level 3 Alternatives (PDF 3.5MB). We also revisited the recent environmental analysis. Upcoming meetings will cover topics like Good To Go!, construction phasing and cost estimates. Recordings of these recent meetings are available on the community engagement section of the project website.

International group of engineers tour Colman Dock

Fourteen people attending the International Electrical and Electronic Engineers Power & Energy Society General Meeting toured our Seattle Multimodal Terminal at Colman Dock Project on Tuesday. They got to check out the new facility and a view presentation on our electrification efforts for our vessels and terminals. The group had attendees from three different countries. It’s always great to share what we do with others from around the world.

Major Construction Communications Manager Suanne Pelley provides the group with a visual overview of Colman Dock from the facility’s elevated pedestrian walkway connecting the entry and terminal buildings.

Sailing stats for week of July 15-21

For the week of July 15-21, we completed 97.2% of our 2,829 scheduled sailings. We were able to replace five of our 84 canceled sailings that were due to crewing (61%), tides (7%) and schedule resets (32%), when a boat is so far behind schedule, we cancel a sailing to get it back on schedule, providing predictability for customers.

Customer kudos

“We had a medical emergency that required us to get to the hospital in Anacortes today. Your team got us on the (ferry quickly when leaving and returning to Orcas Island). My wife was miserable all day and the only thing that made her and me feel better was how easily the ferry trips went as a result of your crew and staff. So thank you! We’re grateful! Please tell the Anacortes and Orcas gate staff that we really appreciate them.”

-Anacortes/San Juan Islands route customer