Considerable activity related to Washington State Ferries has occurred in recent weeks, with members of the Triangle Route Improvement Task Force shifting their focus to upcoming schedule changes and Ferries’ long-range plan. Meanwhile, some islanders have headed to Olympia, hoping to provide information to legislators and seek their support, hoping for improved ferry service to Vashon.

The task force met last Thursday, and one of the most prominent items discussed was an idea presented by Washington State Ferries’ Trevor Sharp: At limited times at the Fauntleroy dock, WSF would open one booth for pre-ticketed vehicles only to Vashon and Southworth. Sharp presented both pros and cons to the idea, and, with varying degrees of support, task force members gave the green light to try it out for one week next month. Following that trial, determinations will be made about its further implementation.

Other substantial topics at the meeting included Ray Deardorf presenting an early draft of potential schedule changes beginning in summer 2019. He stressed it was extremely early in the process, but in his initial efforts, he was aiming to incorporate ideas derived from community and task force members, such as increased dual-destination sailings westbound in the afternoon, single-destination sailings eastbound in the morning or all the time, filling the boats and keeping to the schedule. Deardorf also discussed Ferries’ long-range plan, which will extend out to 2040, with overall ridership anticipated to grow some 30 percent by that time.

Regarding the booth for pre-ticketed vehicles only, Sharp said that he pursued it because so many people had asked for it, but he cautioned that it has several limitations and may be ripe for problems.

“It could be some potential for improvement, but there might not be. We don’t know,” he told the task force members.

Ferries is scheduled to try it out for about a week beginning on Feb. 12, the week before Presidents’ Day Weekend. Use of one booth for pre-ticketed only vehicles will mean that drivers will need to pay close attention to ferry workers and the signs at the booths, ferry officials stressed. The plan is for the procedure to be used only for single-destination sailings between 3 and 6 p.m. on weekdays for four to five minutes at a time, when the exit lanes can be used. Sharp estimates that, optimally, this change could put 10 to 15 more vehicles on the boats. Additional benefits, he said, are that the procedure would serve both Vashon and Southworth communities and that no extra staff would be needed. He also discussed the potential challenges involved, including adding confusion to the loading process, the possibility of cars blocking the pre-ticketed lane and not being able to fully utilize both booths.

While some on the task force expressed hesitancy about moving forward, they made the decision to proceed. One of Vashon’s representatives to the task force, Kari Ulatoski, was among those supporting the idea.

“I think it is worth the goodwill,” she said. “It shows that you listened and tried something.”

As part of the discussion, WSF’s John Vezina told the group that Sen. Sharon Nelson, who is the Senate Democratic leader and lives on Maury Island, has requested information about costs associated with holding the police officer at the dock later on Fridays and on weekends.

“She is looking at ways she might be able to help with that,” he said.

The schedule conversation Deardorf led was preliminary, but he also provided a new timeline to develop and implement it. The public portion will begin this fall, with public meetings and community outreach, followed by revisions to the schedule. More public meetings will follow in February of 2019, when WSF will send the schedule to transit partners. The final schedule will be released in March and implemented in June of next year.

Meanwhile, on Vashon, some people remain unhappy with ferry service to the island. Their frustration is partially because the task force was supposed to create a “quick win” for last summer, and the plan it came up with did not do so. Now, with the first signs of spring showing themselves, there are no substantive plans — beyond the recently announced trial of the limited pre-ticketed booth — to improve the service before summer’s crowds return to the island.

Concerned about facing another difficult peak ferry travel season, earlier this month islanders Kathy Abascal, who gathered 1,700 signatures on a petition last summer to improve service, and Jim Marsh, the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, went to Olympia and met with Rep. Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island). Clib-born co-chairs the Joint Transportation Committee. While there, Abascal gave Clibborn the petition signatures and a host of other information, including the Chamber’s survey that showed some businesses have been hurt by poor ferry service. She also provided ferry photos from Dec. 18 — the day of the Amtrak tragedy, when many additional drivers turned to the ferry to get home. The line stretched for nearly 2 miles that day, but some ferries left with considerable space on them — despite the long line and waits people experienced. Similar situations, though not as severe, happened repeatedly last summer and frustrated many, in addition to Abascal.

“The purpose of the ferries is not to move the boats themselves,” she said. “It is to carry people and their vehicles across the water. It’s absurd to dispatch a half-full ferry when there are ticketed cars in line and empty spaces on the ferry.”

Ferry officials have repeatedly said that many passengers press them to be on time, and that traveling on time and filling the boats cannot be done at Fauntleroy because the size of the dock. But Abascal the Legislature’s mandate of on-time performance should not mean that boats leave without being full to stick to the schedule.

“On-time performance means you come up with systems that load boats more quickly,” she said. “We know it can be done because it was done in the past.”

For his part, Marsh said he went to speak to Clibborn in part because he is concerned about the economic impacts to island businesses, less than smooth ferry service and that another summer is coming up again.

“I think we experienced some of the worst delays and cancellations we have ever had,” he said about last summer.

Also, he said he decided to become more active on ferry issues after the public meeting on Vashon last September, when he felt that officials at WSF were not listening to what many of its passengers had to say.

“When you are not getting satisfaction from people who are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, you go to their boss,” he said. “We thought it was time to start talking to the people that can set their (WSF’s) priorities.”

Both he and Abascal stress that there are times when living on an island that problems will arise and there will be delays. But the frequency with which they happened last summer was too high.

Moving ahead, Abascal said she plans to continue reaching out to elected officials; she has a meeting with Nelson set for Jan. 31, and she hopes to talk with others, including Vashon’s state representatives as well as Charles Knutson, an advisor to the governor; and county officials who might be able to assist. Marsh said he and others interested in the economic effects of ferries on the island hope to look at that situation more closely, so that information will be well understood and shared with legislators.

“We will keep watching what they are doing and keep reminding (officials) that the system serves people, that we are here and relying on it, and we would like to have good solutions,” Marsh said.