WSF Weekly Report | Virtual public meetings coming up

||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||

Virtual public meetings, Jan. 17 and 18

Mark your calendar! We’re hosting two virtual community meetings next month with our local Ferry Advisory Committees. The meetings will be at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, and 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. Both meetings will cover the same material. Participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments. Advanced registration is required.

If you would like to send in questions ahead of the meetings, email wsfcomms@wsdot.wa.gov.

USDOT, FTA administrators tour new Colman Dock, ferry Tacoma

We hosted U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration administrators on a tour of our new Colman Dock facility on Monday. USDOT Director of Public Engagement and Senior Advisor to the Secretary Lynda Tran, FTA Region 10 Regional Administrator Susan Fletcher and staff members also checked out the engine room and wheelhouse aboard Tacoma during a roundtrip sailing between Seattle and Bainbridge Island. We appreciate the strong support from the USDOT and FTA, which have provided us with millions of dollars in funding to improve our vital service for the communities we serve.

With Chief Engineer Conner White, FTA Government Affairs Outreach Specialist Daniel Walls, USDOT Policy Advisor Derrek Chung, USDOT Director of Public Engagement and Senior Advisor to the Secretary Lynda Tran, FTA Region 10 Regional Administrator Susan Fletcher, Deputy Director of Planning, Customer and Government Relations Hadley Rodero and Assistant Engineer Ryan McLaughlin in the Tacoma engine room.

Prior to the tour, I joined representatives from King County Metro and Sound Transit for a USDOT and FTA listening session to discuss the needs of Seattle-area transit riders, particularly those who are Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander.

Seattle Maritime Academy students tour engine rooms

Students enrolled in the Marine Engineering Technology program at Seattle Maritime Academy toured the engine rooms aboard both our Seattle/Bainbridge route vessels earlier this month. During their visit on Suquamish and Tacoma, the group was able to hear from our crewmembers – including one who is a recent SMA alum – about what makes a successful oiler. We have a strong partnership with SMA. Around one-in-four of our current engine room employees graduated from the academy and we want to make sure this workforce pipeline keeps flowing!

Oiler Sam Lombard, a recent SMA alumnus, shows current SMA students around the Suquamish engine room.

Bainbridge terminal overhead pedestrian walkway closed Dec. 19-20

Plan for possible boarding and offloading delays at our Bainbridge terminal for two days next week as all walk-on passengers load and unload via the car deck. From 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, through Wednesday evening, Dec. 20, the overhead walkway will be closed so crews can replace mechanical systems in preparation for the opening of the new overhead walkway early next year. View a time-lapse video of four large steel spans that make up the new walkway being placed onto concrete footings in September.

Crews have installed the roofing onto the new walkway at Bainbridge Island and are now installing windows that will feature markings to help prevent birds from flying into them.

Portion of SR 305 on Bainbridge Island closed overnight, Dec. 20-21

Plan for extra travel time if you’re planning to use State Route 305 to access our Bainbridge terminal Wednesday night, Dec. 20, into Thursday morning, Dec. 21. From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., both directions of the highway between Northeast Port Madison Road and Northeast Day Road on Bainbridge Island will be closed. During the closure, utility crews will replace power lines over the road. Travelers will follow a signed detour that may add an extra 15-20 minutes to navigate.

Customer kudos

“RAVE to the Washington State Ferries crew on the Edmonds/Kingston run the other week who prevented us from damaging our RV as we began to drive off the ferry. A protrusion on the vehicle deck nearly destroyed the awning of our trailer. They frantically stopped me within millimeters of hitting the protrusion and then expertly coached me on how to maneuver our truck and trailer to avoid the damage. Fantastic, caring, attentive professionals!”

-Edmonds/Kingston customer in The Seattle Times