Ferries begin summer service on Sunday, June 20th

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by Mike (iFerry Administrator) from Bainbridge Island, WA

Washington State Ferries will begin its summer 2010 sailing schedule on Sunday, with additional vessels, sailings and service hours on the more popular tourism routes. The summer schedule runs through Sept. 25.

Summer service changes include:

• Anacortes/San Juan Islands: an additional vessel and increased hours of service. There is a change from the printed schedule: the 5:50 a.m. sailing from Friday Harbor will stop at Lopez Island at approximately 6:25 a.m. and load Anacortes-bound traffic. This Lopez stop was added after the schedule went to print, in response to customer feedback.

• Anacortes/Sidney, B.C.: two daily trips instead of one

• Edmonds/Kingston: There will be many five- to ten-minute adjustments to sailing times. These changes were made to improve schedule reliability, meet transit connections, and adhere to U.S. Coast Guard crew endurance requirements.

• Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: extra weekend service on both Saturday and Sunday

For more summer schedule details and other ferry system information, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.

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Ferry Riders Likely to Get Reprieve From Annual Fare Hike

Thursday, June 03, 2010 by Mike (iFerry Administrator) from Bainbridge Island, WA

As reported by the Kitsap Sun:

A ferry fare hike expected to take effect on Oct. 1 likely will be delayed.

Gov. Chris Gregoire wants lawmakers to first review a ferry audit and independent review, and neither will be completed for months.

The Washington State Transportation Commission, which is responsible for fare changes, voted unanimously in May to put off the scheduled increase until reports from the state Auditor’s Office and an independent group known as the Passenger Vehicle Association are complete. Legislators also will get a chance to look over the reports before fares go up.

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San Juan Inter-Island Route - The Sealth Replaces the Hiyu

Tuesday, June 01, 2010 by Mike (iFerry Administrator) from Bainbridge Island, WA

The 90-car Sealth has replaced the 34-car Hiyu for the San Juan Island inter-island route. This is providing an increase in capacity for 56-vehicles as well as 1000 more passengers.

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