WSF Weekly Report | Ferry workers added to public transit state law; Wenatchee now in full service

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

A message from Steve

Our workforce is our most valuable asset. It’s important that all our employees have a safe, respectful environment to serve our customers. That’s why I’m pleased to share Senate Bill 5716 takes effect this Sunday, July 27. It adds Washington State Ferries to the state law defining unlawful behavior on public transit. This means our crew members will now have the same protections as other transit workers across the state.

Our staff in the fleet will now be protected under the same state laws as other transit workers.

The new law makes it a misdemeanor to do things like smoke, litter, damage property or refuse to follow crew directions while on a ferry. These rules already apply to buses, light rail and other transit services. Now they apply to ferries too. I thank Gov. Bob Ferguson for signing the bill, Sen. Deborah Krishnadasan and Rep. Julia Reed for championing the legislation in their respective legislative bodies, and cosponsors of the bill for their support. It helps us protect our workers and provide a safer, more respectful ride for everyone.

Wenatchee back in service

Wenatchee, our first hybrid-electric ferry, returned to full-time service today on our Seattle/Bainbridge route. It had been running part time for nearly a week in the afternoons and evenings until now. This is a big step in our work to upgrade our fleet and to cut down on emissions. Thank you for your patience as we worked on this upgrade, and a heartfelt thanks to the more than 600 employees and union-represented craftspeople who worked so hard to get us here.

Wenatchee returned to full-time service on our Seattle/Bainbridge route today.

Fall vehicle reservations available 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5

Vehicle reservations for our fall sailing season (Sept. 21 through Dec. 27) will be available at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, for our Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes. Like past seasonal releases, we’ll use a virtual waiting room to help things go smoothly during this busy time. It helps avoid website overload and makes sure everyone gets a fair chance. As soon as this fall, our Port Townsend/Coupeville run will be the first to use our new ticketing and reservations system. Once the system is fully running there, we’ll roll it out on other routes starting in the winter. The types of tickets we offer and our vehicle reservations process will stay the same. What’s changing is the platform we use for buying tickets and making reservations. It will have a newer, easier-to-use design. We’ll share more details in August.

Our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route will have an improved version of the spring/fall schedule we debuted earlier this year. Slight changes were made based on public feedback and operation data.

Setting the standard in ADA

Saturday, July 26, marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This important civil rights law made sure people with disabilities have equal access to jobs, transportation, public spaces and more. The ADA helped remove barriers and made our communities more inclusive for everyone. Accessibility is about more than just following the rules. It’s also about being a leader for other organizations. That’s why we’ve recently updated our riders with disabilities page with terminal and vessel specific ADA information in one place. We’re also working with disability groups and other transit agencies to learn and do better. This work is part of our Turning the Tide effort to help build a workplace and system where everyone feels welcome, included and respected.

July is Disability Pride Month. The Disability Pride flag celebrates the strength and diversity of the disability community. Each colored stripe represents a different type of disability, while the black background honors those we’ve lost and the ongoing fight against ableism.

Local elected officials tour ferry, maintenance facility

On Friday, my deputy John Vezina and our Senior Director External Relations Jenna Forty hosted a group of local elected officials. They visited our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility on Bainbridge Island, along with the Tacoma engine room and wheelhouse. The tour was organized by the Puget Sound Regional Council, a strong supporter of reliable ferry service. These tours help us share our story with key decisionmakers whose communities rely on our service. They are a vital part of “Improved Communication,” one of our three strategic priorities. John and Jenna have more tours planned this summer with a member of Congress and congressional staff, as well as state legislators.

Senior Director of External Relations Jenna Forty (far left) and Deputy Assistant Secretary John Vezina (far right) with mayors, county leaders, port commissioners and Puget Sound Regional Council staff during a tour of our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility.

Welcome aboard to our new HR leader

I’m happy to share that Christian Afful is our new head of human resources. He will lead our HR program and policies for all 2,000 of our employees across the system. Christian will help with workforce planning, labor relations and contract talks. He joins our Executive Team with strong experience in public service. We’re excited to have him on board.

Deputy Director of HR Christian Afful comes to us from within our agency. He was previously an HR program manager leading WSDOT’s equal employment opportunity, employee health protected leave and labor relations teams.

Seattle terminal’s Marion Street exit closed late Saturday, July 26

The Marion Street vehicle exit at Colman Dock will be closed from 4-11 p.m. Saturday, July 26. This is due to the Torchlight Run and Parade happening along the Seattle waterfront. During this time, all vehicles must exit at Yesler Way. Please follow posted signs and directions from Seattle Police. Vehicle entry to the terminal via northbound Alaskan Way will remain the same. Foot passengers are encouraged to use the Marion Street Bridge. Expect delays and consider traveling at a different time if possible.

City of Seattle map showing the end of the Alaskan Way parade route at Yesler Way fronting Colman Dock. 

Sailing stats for week of July 14-20

For the week of July 14-20, we completed 97.8% of our 3,124 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 68 cancellations, 28 were because of vessel-related issues, 24 for schedule resets (when a boat is so far behind schedule, we cancel a sailing to get it back on schedule, providing predictability for customers) and 16 due to crewing.

For comparison, during a similar week last year (July 15-21, 2024), we completed 97.2% of our 2,829 scheduled sailings. Of the 84 cancellations that week, 51 were because of crewing, 27 for schedule resets and six due to tidal currents.

Customer kudos

“I’m currently waiting for the last ferry back to Seattle (unexpected delays, totally understandable) and I just saw some really caring and excellent customer service while hanging out inside near the vending machines. Two WSF employees approached a clearly frustrated gentleman whose travel plans for the night seem to have been seriously affected and the staff did a great job of working with him to come up with solutions while empathizing with the situation he was in. Just wanted to drop a line to let them know that they went above and beyond and their kindness was seen/appreciated!!! I’m glad to know that things were handled thoughtfully and quickly in case I ever got similarly stranded. Thank you for all you do!”

-Seattle/Bainbridge route customer