Editorial: Ferries need your feedback

Published 12:30 pm Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Washington State Ferries has launched its online open house for its proposed two-boat schedule rewrite, and it’s vital that islanders participate.

Since its reduction to two boats in 2020, the Triangle route has left passengers with long lines, missed trips and extensive gaps between sailings. Aquatic transportation has improved in the last year as WSF has added a third, unscheduled “bonus boat” to the route and begun to shore up its crewing challenges, and with the state Legislature’s addition of new midday sailings to the Vashon-Seattle water taxi.

The future now is uncertain. The Governor has promised the return of three-boat service this summer, but WSF warns that while three-boat service is planned to be restored by June 30, it can’t guarantee three-boat service all the time given maintenance and other needs. Funding to maintain the water taxi midday sailings hangs in the balance of budget negotiations happening right now in the Legislature.

We can’t afford to end up in a worse position than we started two years ago.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Email our 34th District state legislators with your stories about why the water taxi matters to you. Study and provide comment on the two-boat rewrite by visiting tinyurl.com/TriangleRouteTwoBoatRewrite.

We’re all in the same boat. Let’s row together.