Washington State Ferries

This article is about the ferry system operated on Puget Sound by the state of Washington. For ferry systems in Washington state operated by other entities, see Ferries in Washington (state).
Washington State Ferries
MV Tacoma at Colman Dock in Downtown Seattle
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 ridership59,900 (weekdays, Q3 2024)[1]
Yearly ridership18,661,400 (2023)[2]
Websitewsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. The routes are designated as part of the state highway system. WSF maintains a fleet of 21 vessels that are able to carry passengers and vehicles.

The ferry system carried a total of 18.66 million riders in 2023—9.69 million passengers and 8.97 million vehicles.[3] WSF is the largest ferry system in the United States and the second-largest vehicular ferry system in the world behind BC Ferries.[4] The state ferries carried an average of 59,900 per weekday in the third quarter of 2024.

History

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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 government intended to run ferry service only until cross-sound bridges could be built, but these were never approved and left the ferries as the only means of crossing for vehicles.[7]

The new system was operated by the Washington State Toll Bridge Authority, which ordered ten new vessels that could carry 60 to 100 vehicles. A set of revenue bonds were also issued to purchase the 16 vessels and 20 terminals of the Puget Sound Navigational Company for a total of $4.94 million. The ten initial routes were reduced to eight by the end of the year.[8] A route between Port Townsend and Keystone on Whidbey Island was launched in June 1974 to replace a privately-run service that had lost its franchise.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

Routes

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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)

WSF has 10 routes that serve 20 terminals in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea in Western Washington.[4] The busiest route is the Seattle–Bainbridge Island ferry, which carried 4.8 million total riders in 2023; the Mukilteo–Clinton ferry carried 2.1 million total vehicles in 2023, the most of any route.[3][14]

Route name Terminals State route designation[15] Annual ridership[16] Annual vehicles carried[17] Notes
Anacortes–Sidney BC (Service suspended) Sidney, British Columbia Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Anacortes N/A[18] 0 0
  • Service suspended until 2030
  • Only route that operated internationally
  • Only route that is not part of state highway system (Friday Harbor-Sidney, BC segment)
Anacortes–San Juan Islands Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
SR 20 Spur 		1,932,543 921,065
  • 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 20 686,924 316,823
  • Reservations recommended
Mukilteo–Clinton Clinton, Whidbey Island Mukilteo SR 525 3,687,297 2,105,628
Edmonds–Kingston Kingston Edmonds SR 104 3,542,142 1,799,911
Seattle–Bainbridge Island Winslow, Bainbridge Island Seattle (Colman Dock) SR 305 4,751,576 1,624,900
Seattle–Bremerton Bremerton SR 304 952,875 358,846
Fauntleroy–Vashon Vashon Island West Seattle (Fauntleroy) SR 160 2,200,335 1,324,659
  • All three services operated together as a "triangle route."
Fauntleroy–Southworth Southworth
Southworth–Vashon Southworth Vashon Island
Point Defiance–Tahlequah Tahlequah, Vashon Island Tacoma (Point Defiance) SR 163 907,842 518,542

Former routes

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  • Agate Pass, replaced by the Agate Pass Bridge on October 7, 1950[19]
  • Edmonds–Port Ludlow
  • Port Gamble–Shine, replaced by South Point route on June 10, 1950[19]
  • 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[19]

Operations

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In 2022, Washington State Ferries had an operating budget of $282.5 million and spent approximately $16.47 per passenger trip.[20] The system has over 1,500 employees, but had had crew shortages in the early 2020s that have led to sailing cancellations and deferred maintenance.[21] Onboard food service, primarily through the ship galley and vending machines, is operated by contractor Sodexo Live.[22]

The agency allows weddings and other celebrations to take place on board ferries, as well as the scattering of cremated remains with advance reservations.[23]

Fleet

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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.
MV Puyallup departing Seattle with the skyline

As of 2020, there are 21 ferries in the WSF fleet that serve Puget Sound.[24] 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.[25] Most of the ferries feature an outdoor deck with two "pickleforks" where passengers board and disembark the vessel.[26]

The fleet uses diesel fuel to power its engines and is the largest consumer of diesel fuel in the state government at 19 million gallons used annually prior to 2020;[27] 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.[28] The first vessel to undergo conversion to use hybrid-electric propulsion is MV Wenatchee, which will be converted from 2023 to 2024.[29] 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.[30] Bids for the hybrid-electric ferries, which will carry 164 vehicles and 1,500 passengers, were opened to non-Washingtonian shipbuilders in 2024 with invitations sent to 15 interested companies.[27]

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.[30]

The ferry fleet consists of the following vessels:[24]

Class Ferry name Year built Auto

capacity

Passenger

capacity

Speed Notes
Evergreen State MV Tillikum 1959 87 1,061 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Super MV Kaleetan 1967 144 1,868 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
MV Yakima 1967 144 2,000 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Jumbo MV Spokane 1972 188 2,000 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
MV Walla Walla 1973 188 2,000 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Issaquah MV Issaquah 1979 124 1,200 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 1989.
MV Kittitas 1980 124 1,200 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 1990.
MV Kitsap 1980 124 1,200 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 1992.
MV Cathlamet 1981 124 1,200 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) Auto capacity increased in 1993.
MV Chelan 1981 124 1,200

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 Sealth 1982 90 1,200 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Jumbo Mark II MV Tacoma 1997 202 2,500 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
MV Wenatchee 1998 202 2,500 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
MV Puyallup 1999 202 2,500 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Kwa-di Tabil MV Chetzemoka 2010 64 750 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
MV Salish 2011 64 750 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
MV Kennewick 2011 64 750 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Olympic MV Tokitae 2014 144 1,500 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
MV Samish 2015 144 1,500 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
MV Chimacum 2017 144 1,500 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
MV Suquamish 2018 144 1,500 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)

Retired vessels

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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[31]
Ferry name Class Year built (rebuilt) Year in service Year retired Auto capacity Passenger capacity Notes
MV Chippewa None 1900 (1928/ 1932) 1951 1964 52 950 Converted to a car ferry in 1926
MV Leschi None 1913 1951 1967 40 453 Previously owned by King County and used on Lake Washington
SS San Mateo None 1922 1951 1969 50 659 Purchased by PSN in 1941
SS Shasta None 1922 1951 1958 55 468 Purchased by PSN in 1941
MV Rosario None 1923 (1931) 1951 1951 33 312
MV Kitsap (1925) Anderson 1925 1951 1961 32 325
MV Crosline None 1925 (1947) 1951 1967 30 300 Purchased by the state in 1947
MV Kehloken Wood Electric 1926 1951 1972 50 770 Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV Kalakala None 1926 (1935) 1951 1967 110 1943 Originally built as MV Peralta in 1926; rebuilt as Kalakala in 1935 using Peralta's hull
MV Enetai Steel Electric 1927 1951 1967 90 1500 Purchased by PSN in 1940 and converted to a single-ended ferry
MV Willapa Steel Electric 1927 1951 1967 90 1500 Purchased by PSN in 1940 and converted to a single-ended ferry
MV Chetzemoka (1927) Wood Electric 1927 1951 1973 50 400 Purchased by PSN in 1938
MV Quinault Steel Electric 1927 (1958/ 1985) 1951 2007 59 616 Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV Illahee Steel Electric 1927 (1958/ 1986) 1951 2007 59 616 Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV Nisqually Steel Electric 1927 (1958/ 1987) 1951 2007 59 616 Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV Klickitat Steel Electric 1927 (1958/ 1981) 1951 2007 64 412 Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV Klahanie Wood Electric 1928 1951 1972 50 601 Purchased by PSN in 1940
MV Skansonia None 1929 1951 1969 32 465 Operated under a state contract since 1940 after the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed
MV Vashon Anderson 1930 1951 1980 50 646
MV Olympic None 1938 1954 1993 55 605 Purchased by WSF in 1954
MV Rhododendron None 1947 (1990) 1954 2012 48 546 Purchased by WSF in 1954, sold to Atlantic Capes Fisheries in 2013
MV Evergreen State Evergreen State 1954 (1988) 1954 2016 87 854
MV Kulshan None 1954 1970 1982 65 350 Purchased by WSF in 1970, sold in 1982 and renamed MV Governor
MV Klahowya Evergreen State 1958 (1995) 1958 2017 87 792
MV Hyak Super 1966 1967 2019 144 2000
MV Hiyu None 1967 1967 2016 34 199
MV Elwha Super 1967 (1991) 1968 2020 144 1069 Upgraded to meet SOLAS standards for Sidney, BC.
MV Tyee None 1985 1985 2003 0 250 Operating as M/V Glacier Express in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska as of 2013[32][33]
MV Kalama Skagit/Kalama 1989 1989 2009 0 230 Sold in 2011
MV Skagit Skagit/Kalama 1989 1989 2009 0 230 Sold in 2011; capsized on July 18, 2012
MV Chinook Passenger-Only Fast Ferry 1998 1998 2008 0 350 Sold to Golden Gate Ferries, renamed MV Golden Gate
MV Snohomish Passenger-Only Fast Ferry 1999 1999 2008 0 350 Sold to Golden Gate Ferries, renamed MV Napa

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Washington State Ferries Traffic Statistics: Rider Segment report for Jan 1, 2023 thru Dec 31, 2023" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 5, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Washington State Ferries: System facts" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  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. ^ McDermott, Kara; Black, Dominic (February 18, 2014). "Washington State Ferries: Born From A Rates War". KUOW. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Legislative Transportation Committee (July 14, 1981). "Historical overview of the Washington State Ferry System". Washington State Legislature. pp. 3–6. Retrieved March 5, 2024 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
  9. ^ "Keystone ferry run launched". The Everett Herald. June 7, 1974. p. A2. Retrieved March 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Saldanha, Alison (August 24, 2022). "WA ferry delays hit highest mark in past decade". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  11. ^ Kroman, David (March 1, 2023). "WA ferries restores service to some routes, delays others". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "State ferries welcome 1.3 million more riders in 2023" (Press release). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 16, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  15. ^ Washington State Department of Transportation (2014). Washington State Highways, 2014–2015 (PDF) (Map). 1:842,000. Olympia: Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  16. ^ "Washington State Ferries Traffic Statistics Rider Segment report" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 5, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  17. ^ "WSDOT Ferries Division- overview and fact sheet" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  18. ^ "RCW 47.17.081 State route No. 20 north". Washington State Legislature. 20 November 2024.
  19. ^ a b c "Annual Traffic Report 1960" (PDF). Washington State Highway Commission. 1960. pp. viii–ix. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  20. ^ "2022 Annual Agency Profile – Washington State Ferries" (PDF). National Transit Database. Federal Transit Administration. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  21. ^ Lindblom, Mike (November 22, 2021). "How to make Washington State Ferries shipshape again". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  22. ^ Kroman, David (April 9, 2022). "Beer and popcorn to return to WA ferries". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  23. ^ Brown, Andrea (January 29, 2019). "Ever after: Get married — or buried — on a Washington ferry". The Everett Herald. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Washington State Ferries – Our Fleet, Washington State Department of Transportation, Retrieved June 16, 2020
  25. ^ "WSDOT Ferries Division Fleet Guide" (PDF). Washington State Ferries. May 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  26. ^ MicNichols, Joshua (May 31, 2024). "A sneak peak[sic] at Washington's planned hybrid electric ferries". KUOW. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  27. ^ a b Deshais, Nicholas (June 4, 2024). "WA shows off new design for its ferries — now it needs a shipbuilder". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  28. ^ "Washington State Ferries System Electrification Plan" (PDF). WSDOT. December 2020.
  29. ^ Cornfield, Jerry (August 16, 2023). "Washington awards $150M contract to convert ferries to hybrid-electric power". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  30. ^ a b 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.
  31. ^ "The Ghost Fleet of Washington State Ferries". EvergreenFleet.com. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  32. ^ M/V Tyee, Evergreen Fleet, retrieved 2013-06-28
  33. ^ Our fleet of vessels, Major Marine Tours, retrieved 2013-06-28
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