WSF Passenger-Only Ferry Service Cut

Washington State Ferries announced today a cut in the Vashon passenger-only ferry service based on a legislative mandate requiring WSF to implement part-time shifts and cut service hours from 16 hours to eight hours of service per day, Monday through Friday. In order to maximize service based on these new legislative requirements, Washington State Ferries worked closely with the Vashon and Southworth Ferry Advisory Committees. The system also used ridership figures per sailing as criteria so that the most popular sailings were retained. Customers under-utilized most of the effected sailings. According to WSF, although the scheduled service hours have been reduced by eight hours per day, the new schedule will still accommodate, on average, 70% of the current passenger-only customers, with little adjustment to their regular travel schedule. “We did not want the bulk of our commuter base to have to shift their schedules drastically or their mode,” explains Mike Anderson, Executive Director of Washington State Ferries. “It is never easy to cut service and frankly, I hate to do it. But we’ve tried to create a schedule that will work for the majority of our users.”