WSF Weekly Report | Women in maritime; community meetings

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

A message from Steve

Monday, May 18 is International Day for Women in Maritime. This year’s theme is “From Policy to Practice: Advancing Gender Equality for Maritime Excellence.” The message is simple. Real progress takes action, not just promises. At Washington State Ferries, we are working to create more opportunities for women across our system. Women serve in every part of our organization – on our boats and at our terminals, trade shops and offices, with many in leadership roles. About one in four of our employees identify as a woman, which puts us ahead of a lot of other maritime organizations. We are proud of our progress, but we know there is still more work to do.

Second Mate Roni Kittelson guides Enumclaw High School students on a tour of the Suquamish pilothouse. As a deck officer, she helps lead navigation duties and supports the captain and crew in safe vessel operations.

Engine Workforce Development Lead Heather Nicole Saladino guides our new and current engine room employees to complete required certifications, so they stay current with requirements. She also helps build the skills needed to advance in their careers.

Ticket Seller Kim Zuanich, one of our first-aid instructors, trains new engine room employees how to use a splint.

Boilermaker Jennifer Patrick shares what it’s like to work in our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility weld shop with Bainbridge High School students.

Building a workplace where everyone feels welcome isn’t just something we talk about, it’s something in which we’re actively investing. We are improving hiring and training programs, expanding mentorship opportunities and helping employees grow their careers. We also work with schools and community groups and have programs to connect a diverse group of people of all backgrounds with maritime jobs. Our ferry system is changing too. New technology is creating career opportunities that didn’t exist a generation ago. The old image of who belongs in this industry just doesn’t hold up anymore. What gets you ahead is skill, teamwork and a willingness to show up and do the work. We want women, and people from all backgrounds, to know there is a place for them at Washington State Ferries and in the maritime industry.

Rep. Emily Randall calls for strong federal investment in ferry systems

Rep. Emily Randall, Gov. Bob Ferguson, and county and labor leaders gathered at Colman Dock on Friday. They were there to highlight why federal funding is important for ferry systems like WSF. In March, Congresswoman Randall introduced the bipartisan FERRIES Act. If passed, the bill would increase federal investments for maritime transit service across the country. She also helped create the new bipartisan Congressional Ferry Caucus last year and serves as one of its co-chairs. The group advocates for long-term federal investments in ferry systems. After the event, Rep. Randall rode the Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry to Southworth. She toured our facility there with employees to learn more about our funding needs for terminal improvements. The congresswoman is a long-time champion of WSF, dating back to her time in the state Legislature. We appreciate her support, along with the rest of Washington’s congressional delegation, in helping secure federal funding for our daily operations and vessel and terminal projects.

External Relations Director Jenna Forty (right) talks to, from left to right, Southworth Terminal Supervisor Jonah Shrader, Kitsap County Commissioner and Kitsap Transit Board Chair Katie Walters and Rep. Emily Randall.

6 more graduate from WSDOT-funded maritime training program

On Friday, I attended the graduation ceremony for the latest cohort of the Youth Marine Foundation’s WAVE Seafarer Readiness Program. Six students completed the training. They each took an important step toward careers in the maritime industry. Funded by our agency, the program offers free maritime training for adults who face social or financial barriers. The goal is to remove barriers and prepare people for jobs in maritime. This was the program’s sixth cohort. Over three weeks, students trained aboard the foundation’s vessel, the Doolin-Rogers. They also worked on earning their Transportation Worker Identification Credential and Merchant Mariner Credential. The program is already helping connect graduates to jobs. We’ve hired one participant so far, and we hope to hire more. Congratulations to the graduates!

I joined Assistant Secretary John Vezina (far right), Workforce Outreach Specialist Adam Dahl (far left in back row), WSDOT External Civil Rights Specialist Ami Moseley (center) and Youth Marine Foundation staff to celebrate the six graduates on Friday.

Have a question? Ask us at online community meetings

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 26. We’re hosting two online community meetings at noon and 6 p.m. Prior registration is required to attend. This is your chance to ask questions and share feedback. Each meeting will start with a short presentation about our updated Service Contingency Plan, summer service and 2026 men’s soccer world championship planning, our revised pet policy, and work to build new vessels and install terminal charging infrastructure. Most of the time will be dedicated to answering your questions. You can also send questions or comments ahead of time by email. If you can’t attend live, recordings will be posted on our community participation page the day after the meetings.

Both online community meetings will cover the same information.

P.S. Perks Espresso & Coffee opens at Colman Dock

We’re excited to announce the opening of another food and beverage option for those traveling through Colman Dock. This morning, P.S. Perks Espresso & Coffee debuted inside our Seattle terminal building. It’s located in the center of the main passenger waiting area. This is the second vendor to open following construction of the new facility. In December, Puget Sound Traders opened in the northeast corner of the terminal building near the Bainbridge Island turnstiles. It uses Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology. More options are coming soon. Knot’s Landing, a pretzel shop, will open this summer on the street level along Alaskan Way. Boardwalk Blendz, a smoothie shop, will open later this summer on the upper level of the entry building. We are exploring options to bring more street-level and pop-up vendors to add more convenience, choice and comfort for everyone who travels through Colman Dock.

P.S. Perks features local products sourced from Washington state, including delicious house-made breakfast sandwiches and freshly baked pastries available daily. Sodexo Live!, the kiosk’s operator, says they are proud to support local businesses and bring the best of our region to our customers.

One entry lane into Colman Dock closed next week

If you’re boarding a ferry in a vehicle at our Seattle terminal next week, plan for possible delays getting to the tollbooths. From 7 a.m. Tuesday, May 19, to 7 a.m. Thursday, May 21, one of the two left-turn lanes from Alaskan Way into Colman Dock will be closed. During that time, the city of Seattle will replace a concrete panel at the intersection. The new panel will need 24 to 36 hours to set. All tollbooths will remain open, but traffic could back up during busy travel times.

The concrete panel being replaced is in the bike lane on the west side of Alaskan Way near the vehicle entrance to Colman Dock.

New shuttle connects Colman Dock to downtown Seattle destinations

Our Colman Dock customers will have a new way to travel around downtown Seattle this summer. Starting Thursday, May 21, a free waterfront shuttle will stop near Colman Dock. It’s operated by King County Metro and sponsored by a local organizing committee. The shuttle will connect riders to popular places across the city like Seattle Center, Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District. It will run every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day through Labor Day, Sept. 7. On men’s soccer world championship match days, service will increase to every 10 minutes to meet higher demand. They will also offer free rides on match day shuttles to help move fans and visitors on a separate route through downtown during Seattle’s six games.

SR 305 daytime Bainbridge ferry lane closures next week

Ferry riders heading to our Bainbridge terminal on State Route 305 should plan for possible daytime delays next week. The right lane heading southbound will be closed at the Winslow Way intersection from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, May 20 and 21. All vehicles traveling to the ferry will share the left lane with local traffic. During the closure, WSDOT crews will move the overhead ferry lane traffic signals and signs to the north side of the intersection. The work must be done during daylight hours for safety reasons. The lane closure is scheduled outside of commuter hours to minimize travel disruptions.

A memorable day for young ferry enthusiast

On Monday, we had the honor of hosting a 17-year-old ferry fan aboard Salish. Calvin is passionate about ships and the maritime field. When we heard he’s undergoing cancer treatment, our Port Townsend/Coupeville route employees wanted to do something special for him. Capt. Robert Rothschiller first welcomed him as a deckhand. After Calvin showed his knowledge of navigation, he was promoted to honorary captain. He took part in a person-overboard drill and visited the pilothouse and engine room. Calvin also met many of our employees, including me. I was struck by his knowledge and inspired by his enthusiasm for maritime work. Kudos to all of the Salish crew for their hospitality, including Ordinary Seafarer William Stehly for escorting Calvin and his family. Experiences like this remind us that serving the public goes beyond safe and reliable transportation. It also means finding ways to connect with the communities we serve, support them and make a difference in moments that matter.

Calvin and his parents with our Salish crew.

Capt. Robert Rothschiller and Calvin. They are wearing custom embroidered hats featuring Kennewick, his favorite ferry. Our Commodore, Capt. Curt Larson, helped arrange for custom embroidered hats to be made for him. Calvin was originally going to sail on Kennewick, but we hosted him aboard Salish Monday due to a last-minute vessel swap.

Sailing stats for week of May 4-10

For the week of May 4-10, our systemwide on-time performance (sailings that left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure) was 85%. By comparison, it was 85.2% during a similar week last year (May 5-11, 2025). To view our on-time performance by month going back to 2017, visit our on-time performance reports page.

Customer kudos

“… On the 1110 ferry crossing from Bremerton to Seattle on April 1st, the crew had a passenger start to complain of a medical emergency. The crew recognized it and paged for overhead help. I currently work as a (firefighter/paramedic) for the city of Bremerton and the crew was one of the most prepared and helpful ones I have worked with yet. They without a doubt played a huge part in helping this sick cardiac patient get to the ER as quickly as possible. I wanted to reach out and give them major kudos. …”

-Seattle/Bremerton route customer