WSDOT

Washington State Ferries is operating on alternate schedules on some routes until further notice. These changes will help offer more predictable and reliable service systemwide in the face of crewing shortages. WSF will attempt to add service when possible and will provide notifications when full service can temporarily be restored to a route.

For Monday, March 20, the following routes are operating on alternate schedules:

• Seattle/Bremerton Alternate Service
• 2-Boat Fauntleroy/Vashon, 2-Boat Fauntleroy / Southworth, 2-boat Southworth/Vashon

The following routes are running restored winter schedules:

• Anacortes/San Juan Islands: Reservations available 
• Port Townsend/Coupeville: Reservations Available
• Mukilteo/Clinton
• Edmonds / Kingston
• Seattle/Bainbridge Island
• Point Defiance/Tahlequah

The schedule page online shows the currently active schedules in the top section, and the inactive schedules are below.  Please note that the active schedules may change daily depending on crew availability, so please be sure to monitor email alerts and check the Travel Alert Bulletins page for updates. 

Washington State Ferries’ Medical Preferential Loading program will move online next week. Starting Monday, March 20, faxed applications will no longer be accepted, and customers will need to work with their health care providers to submit one online. Once submitted, both the customer and provider will receive a confirmation email. A printed copy of this confirmation email must be presented with matching ID when traveling using the program.

There will be a 90-day grace period for applications faxed in prior to March 20. These will be accepted through their expiration date or up through June 18, whichever comes first. Customers taking advantage of the grace period are encouraged to work with their health care provider to apply online as soon as possible to avoid a pause in being able to use the program.

Customers can also find additional information about the upcoming updates to the program online.

All passengers traveling through Colman Dock should be aware of ongoing slip changes at the Seattle terminal. Bainbridge customers will use Slip 2 while Slip 1 undergoes needed repairs. Once those repairs are completed, Bainbridge travelers will return to using Slip 1.

Once Bainbridge travel goes back to Slip 1, Bremerton passengers will arrive and depart using Slip 2. Slip 3 will be temporarily closed until March 27 to complete electrical work as the new terminal nears completion. Passengers will return to using Slip 3 once the work is completed.

Thank you for your continued patience while we work to finish construction on the new Seattle terminal. We will continue to send updates as they become available.

Reminder:

To help supplement service, Washington State Ferries has added the following weekday service on our Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth “Triangle” route to fill gaps in the two-boat schedule when crewing allows:

• 11:15 a.m. existing Southworth to Vashon will load Fauntleroy traffic
• 11:50 a.m. Vashon to Fauntleroy
• 12:15 p.m. Fauntleroy to Vashon (continues to Southworth)
• 7:35 p.m. Fauntleroy to Southworth (currently to Vashon)
• 8:10 p.m. Southworth to Vashon
• 8:30 p.m. Vashon to Fauntleroy
• 8:55 p.m. Fauntleroy to Vashon
• 9:20 p.m. Vashon to Southworth
• 9:35 p.m. Southworth to Vashon (Fridays only)

Thank you for your continued patience while we work to improve service on the route.

The passenger elevator on the M/V Kennewick is out of order until further notice. Updates will occur as more information becomes available. 

The smaller Suquamish has replaced the Spokane on the Seattle/Bainbridge route. The 144-vehicle capacity Suquamish is switching places with the 188-vehicle capacity Spokane due to a series of needed boat assignment changes across the system. The Suquamish is scheduled to sail on the route through March 26.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience while we work to maintain our fleet. For more information, customers can check the online schedule to see scheduled sailings and also view the real-time travel map for live boat location information.

Washington State Ferries is actively working to bring service to pre-pandemic levels. While that won’t happen overnight, staff have developed a plan that outlines how to get there. Customers are encouraged to take a look at WSF’s COVID-19 Service Restoration Plan to get a clearer picture of what challenges the agency continues to face and what it will take to resume pre-pandemic service. WSF will provide regular updates on progress as it continues to restore service.