Washington State Ferries
LocaleWashington
WaterwayPuget Sound, Salish Sea
Transit typeFerry
OwnerWashington State Department of Transportation
OperatorWashington State Department of Transportation
Began operationJune 1, 1951 (1951-06-01)
No. of lines10
No. of vessels21
No. of terminals20
Daily ridership58,900 (weekdays, Q3 2023)[1]
Yearly ridership17,375,400 (2022)[2]
Websitewsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation. It runs ten routes serving 20 terminals located around Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands, designated as part of the state highway system. The agency maintains a fleet of 21 vessels. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 17,375,400, or about 58,900 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023. As of 2016, it was the largest ferry operator in the United States[3] and the second-largest vehicular ferry system in the world.[4]

History

The ferry system has its origins in the "mosquito fleet", a collection of small steamer lines serving the Puget Sound area during the later part of the nineteenth century and early part of the 20th century. By the beginning of the 1930s, two lines remained: the Puget Sound Navigation Company (known as the Black Ball Line) and the Kitsap County Transportation Company. A strike in 1935 caused the KCTC to close, leaving only the Black Ball Line.[5]

Toward the end of the 1940s, the Black Ball Line wanted to increase its fares, to compensate for increased wage demands from the ferry workers' unions, but the state refused to allow this, and so the Black Ball Line shut down. In 1951, the state bought nearly all of Black Ball's ferry assets for $5 million (Black Ball retained five vessels of its fleet).[6] The state intended to run ferry service only until cross-sound bridges could be built, but these were never approved, and the Washington State Department of Transportation runs the system to this day.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, WSF reduced service on most routes and suspended trips to Sidney on the Anacortes–San Juan Islands route. The loss of workers who retired, transferred, or were fired during the pandemic caused delays and trip cancellations as service and ridership began to recover in 2021 and 2022, while vessel replacement also ran behind schedule.[7] By early 2023, full levels of service were restored on four routes but remained limited across much of the system; the Sidney route is not expected to re-enter service until 2030.[8] Staffing issues, particularly among ship captains and mates, continue to prevent the full restoration of service on the Seattle–Bremerton and Fauntleroy–Vashon–Southworth routes.[9] As mitigation for the delay in restoring the Seattle–Bremerton run's second vessel, WSF funded additional trips on the parallel Kitsap Fast Ferries that serves both terminals.[10]

Routes

A map showing the routes operated by Washington State Ferries (in red) in comparison with Washington State highways (in yellow) and freeways, including Washington State and Interstate highways (in blue)
Route name Terminals State route designation[11] Annual ridership[12] Annual vehicles carried[12] Notes
Anacortes–Sidney BC (Service suspended) Sidney, British Columbia Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Anacortes
SR 20 Spur
123,001 42,589
  • Reservations recommended
  • Only route that operates internationally
  • Route does not operate in Winter (open mid-March to mid-December)
Anacortes–San Juan Islands Friday Harbor, San Juan Island 2,009,438 947,064
  • Reservations recommended
  • Not all trips serve all island terminals.
Lopez Island
Shaw Island
Orcas Island
Interisland Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Orcas Island Shaw Island Lopez Island
Port Townsend–Coupeville Port Townsend Coupeville, Whidbey Island SR 20 819,285 372,130
  • Reservations recommended
Mukilteo–Clinton Clinton, Whidbey Island Mukilteo SR 525 4,073,761 2,234,650
Edmonds–Kingston Kingston Edmonds SR 104 4,114,181 2,127,315
Seattle–Bainbridge Island Winslow, Bainbridge Island Seattle (Colman Dock) SR 305 6,429,853 1,929,617
Seattle–Bremerton Bremerton SR 304 2,739,926 673,815
Fauntleroy–Vashon Vashon Island West Seattle (Fauntleroy) SR 160 3,059,587 1,738,721
  • All three services operated together as a "triangle route."
Fauntleroy–Southworth Southworth
Southworth–Vashon Southworth Vashon Island 200,672 109,548
Point Defiance–Tahlequah Tahlequah, Vashon Island Tacoma (Point Defiance) SR 163 812,786 473,924

Former routes

  • Agate Pass, replaced by the Agate Pass Bridge on October 7, 1950[13]
  • Edmonds–Port Ludlow
  • Port Gamble–Shine, replaced by South Point route on June 10, 1950[13]
  • Seattle–Suquamish, discontinued on October 1, 1951
  • South Point–Lofall, replaced by Hood Canal Bridge in 1961
  • Tacoma Narrows, replaced by Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 but reinstated from 1940 to 1950[13]

Fleet

Washington State Ferry Tacoma
The Hyak in Rich Passage heading to Bremerton, WA
The MV Chimacum arrives in Seattle for the first time with passengers on board, on May 24, 2017.

As of April 17, 2020, there are 21 ferries on Puget Sound operated by the state.[14] The largest vessels in this fleet carry up to 2500 passengers and 202 vehicles. They are painted in a distinctive white and green trim paint scheme, and feature double-ended open vehicle decks and bridges at each end so that they do not need to turn around.[15]

WSF plans to electrify its fleet over 20 years. By 2040, it intends to build 16 new hybrid-electric vessels and convert six others to have hybrid propulsion. This will reduce carbon emissions by up 180,000 tons annually and save $19 million per year in diesel fuel costs.[16] The first vessel to undergo conversion to use hybrid-electric propulsion is MV Wenatchee, which will be converted from 2023 to 2024.[17] The program was originally expected to begin in 2022 with a new boat constructed by Vigor Industrial, but cost overruns and disagreements led to delays. Vigor had been the sole shipbuilder for Washington State Ferries since 1997.[18]

As of 2023, 9 of the 21 active ferries maintained by Washington State Ferries are considered to be in good condition. Cancellation of sailings due to mechanical problems and urgent maintenance increased in the 2010s and 2020s.[18]

The ferry fleet consists of the following vessels:[14]

ClassFerry nameYear builtAuto

capacity

Passenger

capacity

SpeedNotes
Evergreen StateMV Tillikum1959871,06113 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph)
SuperMV Kaleetan19671441,86817 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
MV Yakima19671442,00017 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
JumboMV Spokane19721882,00018 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
MV Walla Walla19731882,00018 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
IssaquahMV Issaquah19791241,20016 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 1989.
MV Kittitas19801241,20016 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 1990.
MV Kitsap19801241,20016 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 1992.
MV Cathlamet19811241,20016 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 1993.
MV Chelan19811241,200

1,090 International

16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 2001.
Upgraded to meet SOLAS safety standards for international service on Sidney, BC route in 2005.
MV Sealth1982901,20016 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Jumbo Mark-IIMV Tacoma19972022,50018 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
MV Wenatchee19982022,50018 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
MV Puyallup19992022,50018 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Kwa-di TabilMV Chetzemoka20106475015 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
MV Salish20116475015 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
MV Kennewick20116475015 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
OlympicMV Tokitae20141441,50017 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
MV Samish20151441,50017 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
MV Chimacum20171441,50017 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
MV Suquamish20181441,50017 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)

Retired vessels

MV Illahee was one of the Steel Electric class ferries which were retired in 2007.
MV Kalakala was retired in 1967.

Since the beginning of state-run ferry service in 1951, WSF has retired many vessels as they have become older, too expensive to operate or maintain, or have become too small to provide adequate ferry service. WSF owned passenger-only vessels between 1985 and 2009, but after discontinuing its two passenger-only routes in the 2000s, WSF has sold its passenger-only ferries to other operators.

Below is a list of ferries that WSF has retired since 1951. Unless otherwise noted, all vessels introduced in 1951 were acquired from the Puget Sound Navigation Company (PSN), also known as the Black Ball Line, when the state took over the company's routes and ferryboats in Puget Sound.

Washington State Ferries retired fleet[19]
Ferry nameClassYear built (rebuilt)Year in serviceYear retiredAuto capacityPassenger capacityNotes
MV ChippewaNone1900 (1928/ 1932)1951196452950Converted to a car ferry in 1926
MV LeschiNone19131951196740453Previously owned by King County and used on Lake Washington
SS San Mateo None19221951196950659Purchased by PSN in 1941
SS Shasta None19221951195855468Purchased by PSN in 1941
MV RosarioNone1923 (1931)1951195133312
MV Kitsap (1925)Anderson19251951196132325
MV CroslineNone1925 (1947)1951196730300Purchased by the state in 1947
MV KehlokenWood Electric19261951197250770Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV KalakalaNone1926 (1935)195119671101943Originally built as MV Peralta in 1926; rebuilt as Kalakala in 1935 using Peralta's hull
MV EnetaiSteel Electric192719511967901500Purchased by PSN in 1940 and converted to a single-ended ferry
MV WillapaSteel Electric192719511967901500Purchased by PSN in 1940 and converted to a single-ended ferry
MV Chetzemoka (1927)Wood Electric19271951197350400Purchased by PSN in 1938
MV QuinaultSteel Electric1927 (1958/ 1985)1951200759616Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV IllaheeSteel Electric1927 (1958/ 1986)1951200759616Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV NisquallySteel Electric1927 (1958/ 1987)1951200759616Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV KlickitatSteel Electric1927 (1958/ 1981)1951200764412Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV KlahanieWood Electric19281951197250601Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV SkansoniaNone19291951196932465Operated under a state contract since 1940 after the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed
MV VashonAnderson19301951198050646
MV OlympicNone19381954199355605Purchased by WSF in 1954
MV RhododendronNone1947 (1990)1954201248546Purchased by WSF in 1954, sold to Atlantic Capes Fisheries in 2013
MV Evergreen StateEvergreen State1954 (1988)1954201687854
MV KulshanNone19541970198265350Purchased by WSF in 1970, sold in 1982 and renamed MV Governor
MV KlahowyaEvergreen State1958 (1995)1958201787792
MV HyakSuper1966196720191442000
MV HiyuNone19671967201634199
MV ElwhaSuper1967 (1991)196820201441069Upgraded to meet SOLAS standards for Sidney, BC.
MV TyeeNone1985198520030250Operating as M/V Glacier Express in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska as of 2013[20][21]
MV KalamaSkagit/Kalama1989198920090230Sold in 2011
MV SkagitSkagit/Kalama1989198920090230Sold in 2011; capsized on July 18, 2012
MV ChinookPassenger-Only Fast Ferry1998199820080350Sold to Golden Gate Ferries, renamed MV Golden Gate
MV SnohomishPassenger-Only Fast Ferry1999199920080350Sold to Golden Gate Ferries, renamed MV Napa

Other ferries

There are several other publicly operated, private, and passenger-only ferries in Washington state.

See also

References

  1. "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  2. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  3. WSDOT Ferries Division, Washington State Department of Transportation, December 2016. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019.
  4. "WSDOT Ferries Division Fact Sheet- December 2016" (PDF). WSDOT. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-21. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  5. History of Washington State Ferry system, wsdot.com, retrieved March 15, 2008
  6. Washington State Ferries begins operations on June 1, 1951, HistoryLink.org, retrieved March 15, 2008
  7. Saldanha, Alison (August 24, 2022). "WA ferry delays hit highest mark in past decade". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  8. Kroman, David (March 1, 2023). "WA ferries restores service to some routes, delays others". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  9. Smith, Matthew (June 8, 2023). "WA State Ferries charts new course amid aging fleet, staffing shortages, pandemic woes". Fox 13 News. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  10. Kroman, David (June 20, 2023). "WA ferry service on several routes won't return to normal this year". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  11. 2004–2005 Official State Highway Map, Washington State Department of Transportation, retrieved March 15, 2008
  12. 1 2 "WSDOT Ferries Division- overview and fact sheet" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 "Annual Traffic Report 1960" (PDF). Washington State Highway Commission. 1960. pp. viii–ix. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  14. 1 2 Washington State Ferries – Our Fleet, Washington State Department of Transportation, Retrieved June 16, 2020
  15. "WSDOT Ferries Division Fleet Guide" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. October 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  16. "Washington State Ferries System Electrification Plan" (PDF). WSDOT. December 2020.
  17. Cornfield, Jerry (August 16, 2023). "Washington awards $150M contract to convert ferries to hybrid-electric power". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Kroman, David (August 20, 2023). "As Washington's ferry fleet ages, why aren't we building new boats?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  19. "The Ghost Fleet of Washington State Ferries". EvergreenFleet.com. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  20. M/V Tyee, Evergreen Fleet, retrieved 2013-06-28
  21. Our fleet of vessels, Major Marine Tours, retrieved 2013-06-28
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