||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||
A message from Steve
For the past few years, the number one thing our riders have been asking us is to improve service. I understand that frustration and am encouraged by numbers from last week that show real progress. From Aug. 25-31, we completed 99.2% of our 3,124 scheduled sailings, cancelling 27. A year ago, during the same week, we ran 2,829 sailings and cancelled 68. We’ve added hundreds of sailings each week this summer and still reduced cancellations. That’s the result of many months of hard work, from crews stepping up to cover extra shifts, maintenance teams keeping vessels available, dispatchers coordinating every detail and staff across the system working together to deliver reliable service. There’s always more work ahead, but it’s important to pause from time to time and recognize how far we’ve come.
Service excellence is one of our three key priorities, and this progress shows what it looks like in practice: more sailings delivered reliably for the people who count on us..
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Labor Day weekend ridership
The numbers are in for Labor Day weekend. Our ferries safely carried close to 380,000 riders from Thursday, Aug. 28, through Monday, Sept. 1. That’s an increase from the roughly 360,000 passengers we had during the same five-day period in 2024. This wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of our vessel crews, terminal employees, dispatchers, maintenance teams, operations center and customer service staff. Thanks to their dedication, we provided reliable service throughout the holiday travel period. I hope you’ll join me in appreciating the commitment of our employees, whose hard work makes a real difference for the people we serve.
As expected, our busiest day was Saturday, Aug. 30, with 87,694 riders. Sunday, Aug. 31, was close behind with 85,943.
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State legislators tour “Triangle” route
We hosted the state Legislature’s Maritime Caucus on our Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route last Thursday. Led by caucus Chair Rep. Julia Reed, the group toured the terminals and visited the wheelhouse and engine rooms on Issaquah and Sealth. The caucus and legislative staffers also received updates on upcoming terminal projects at Fauntleroy and Southworth. Tours like this are important because they let us share our progress and our needs with lawmakers who make key decisions about our funding.
Members of the Maritime Caucus and legislative staffers tour a ferry wheelhouse.
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Sailing stats for week of Aug. 25-31
For the week of Aug. 25-31, we completed 99.2% of our 3,124 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 27 cancellations, 13 were due to crewing, 10 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 four because of vessel-related issues.
For comparison, during a similar week last year (Aug. 26 to Sept 1, 2024), we completed 97.7% of our 2,829 scheduled sailings. Of the 68 cancellations that week, 33 were due to crewing, 21 for schedule resets, nine because of other miscellaneous reasons, four due to vessel-related issues and one for an emergency.
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Customer kudos
“My daughter coordinated with you a memorial ash scattering event on the Salish for August 15th from Pt Townsend to Whidbey Island. I just want to commend Will (Stehly, ordinary seafarer) and anyone involved in the event a huge thank you for our idea of the perfect event for my parents. Will met my daughter, Jill, when she walked on to the ferry and went over the plans so we would know what to expect. He was so friendly and told us right off what a great program it is and how glad he was we were taking advantage of it. Because my parents died 12 years ago, there was no emotional drama…we were all just so glad to send them off to their final resting place together…even the rain did not bother us. Will could not have been a more perfect representative to work with…he explained everything and even the horn being sounded in their honor. While there were only 5 of us there, it is something that my parents would have found to be exactly the type of memorial they would have wanted. Our sincere thanks to Will and all of you in this program!”
-Port Townsend/Coupeville route customer
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WSDOT the parent of WSF and SJC should consider supporting a 3 route shuttle system (Central, East,West) on Orcas and systems throughout the SJIs. This would help give the option for sustainable to and from the SJIs. Furthermore it would give transportation options to not have to haul a car across the sound.
But furthermore, it would benefit the communities by reducing traffic and giving the community a way to get around the island through a shared resource. 45 minute to hourly service would be ideal for the 3 routes.
If funding is tight a partnership through local school districts could share underutilized resources.
RCW 28a.160.120 allows for exactly this kind of resource sharing. Wahkiakum County in Washington State a region smaller than the SJIs provides a community trasnit service through this same state law.