WSF Weekly Report | Sunflower lanyards; onboard dance parties; Suquamish Colman Dock celebration

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

A message from Steve

I’m pleased to share that we have joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program to better support people with non-apparent disabilities as they travel through our system. Through this program, we will offer complementary Sunflower lanyards. People who choose to wear them can quietly signal that they may need extra time, understanding or help while traveling. We are now finishing employee training and plan to officially launch the program in late July. Please stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks on how to get and use the lanyards.

Sunflower lanyards help make hidden disabilities visible, allowing customers to discreetly signal that they may need extra assistance while traveling through our system.

This effort reflects our commitment to making Washington State Ferries accessible and welcoming for everyone. Accessibility is more than meeting rules. It is about how we serve people every day and how we improve the travel experience for all riders. We are committed to building a system where everyone feels welcome, included and respected.

Onboard dance parties keep 75th anniversary celebration rolling

One of the best parts of our 75th anniversary festivities has been seeing customers come together to celebrate the role we’ve played in this region for generations. On Friday, we held the second of four onboard dance parties with KNHC-FM C89.5 Public Radio. These free, family-friendly events are open to all ages, and the energy and excitement on board have been amazing. We are grateful to everyone who has helped make them so special. Our next dance party is today, June 18, on our Edmonds/Kingston route. Music will play on these sailings: 2:25 p.m. from Edmonds, 3:10 p.m. from Kingston, 3:55 p.m. from Edmonds, and 4:40 p.m. from Kingston. Our staff will be on board handing out anniversary keepsakes, including keychains and temporary tattoos.

Passengers dance to DJ Johnny Monsoon’s music mix Friday on the outdoor deck of Kittitas during a Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route sailing.

Marine naturalists, park rangers on select sailings this summer

We have environmental educators aboard some of our ferries again for the summer. Volunteers from Orca Network are available to talk about local marine life, ecosystems, southern resident orcas and other marine mammals. They are on select Tuesday and Saturday sailings on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Edmonds/Kingston routes. Park rangers from Washington State Parks will also be on board select Anacortes/San Juan Islands sailings in the coming weeks. They will give short talks and share information about the area’s maritime history through a partnership with Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. The San Juan Islands are home to more than a dozen state parks. Rangers will also share tips on how to visit these parks safely and responsibly. Together, these programs will help passengers learn more about the Salish Sea, its wildlife, its history and the environment along the route.

State Parks employees Kathy Jacobson and Emily Jacobs with educational materials in the Chelan passenger cabin last summer.

Suquamish Tribe to celebrate plaza, art at Colman Dock Friday, June 26

It’s a perfect time for a tribal celebration as our flagship ferry terminal on the Seattle waterfront fills with sunshine, tourists and international soccer fans. At noon Friday, June 26, Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman will dedicate the new ʔulułali plaza along Alaskan Way/Dzidzilalich. Tribal singing and dancing will follow. The public is invited. ʔulułali means “place of traveling by water.” Built as part of our Colman Dock project, the plaza honors the Suquamish Tribe’s long connection to the Seattle waterfront, where canoe journeys still take place alongside our ferry routes. Tribal members will also dedicate three hand-painted racing canoes hanging inside the terminal building. The canoes are a joint effort, created by Kate k̓yʔk̓ablu Neayuq Ahvakana with artists from the Suquamish Tribe, Yakama Nation and other tribes. They symbolize the lasting importance of canoe travel on their ancestral waters. We worked with the Suquamish Tribe and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe to name Colman Dock’s two street-front plazas. Both are in the traditional Lushootseed language, honoring the tribes’ history and lasting connection to Elliott Bay.

Sign designating ʔulułali as the name of the plaza located on Alaskan Way at the south end of our entry building at Colman Dock.

Sailing stats for week of June 8-14

For the week of June 8-14, our systemwide on-time performance (sailings that left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure) was 79.2%. By comparison, it was 73.7% during a similar week last year (June 2-8, 2025). To view our on-time performance by month going back to 2017, visit our on-time performance reports page.

Customer kudos

“RAVE to our beloved Washington State Ferries system. They offered our family a dignified, beautiful ceremony to disperse our parents’ ashes in Puget Sound. Crew were very respectful and accommodating. Kudos to all involved.”

-Customer in The Seattle Times