(The Center Square) – Washington State Ferries is preparing for a busy Labor Day weekend as ridership trends recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The expected holiday rush comes amid staffing shortages leading to thousands of canceled sailings and questions regarding plans to replace retired vessels with more-expensive electric ships.
The Washington State Department of Transportation anticipates more than 300,000 people will board its ferries throughout Labor Day weekend.
According to WSDOT, the busiest sailings are expected to be westbound onto Puget Sound islands from Aug. 29 through Aug. 31, followed by eastbound sailings off of islands from Aug. 31 through Sept. 2.
WSF crews are in the midst of the peak summer travel season. From May 23 through Aug. 25, Washington state Ferries completed nearly 40,000 sailings and carried more than 6 million riders.
So far through 2024, ridership is higher than the 2021 fiscal year, according to WSF data. This has resulted in fare revenue totaling $35.6 million so far this year. That is more than total revenue in the past four years.
Washington’s ferry system relies on its workforce of nearly 2,000 employees represented by 16 unions.
In anticipation of the busy weekend, WSF Assistant Secretary Steve Nevey praised the agency’s workers and unions.
“I deeply appreciate the dedication and hard work of our frontline staff, who often sacrifice time with their family and friends during holidays to keep our system running,” Nevey said in a news release. “We also extend our deepest thanks to the unions that represent them, advocating for the rights and well-being of our workforce.”
WSDOT recommends drivers take early-morning or late-night sailings, or walk or bike onto ferries, if possible, during the holiday weekend.
The ferry system has struggled with service availability recently. Nearly 40% of the vessels in WSF’s fleet are out of service. In 2023 alone, there were more than 3,000 canceled sailings.
Despite these concerns, Gov. Jay Inslee has not declared a state of emergency for Washington State Ferries. The Center Square previously reported on more than a dozen lawmakers calling on Inslee to do so.
WSDOT is instead focusing on adding five hybrid electric ferries to its existing fleet by 2030 as part of a state-wide clean energy effort.
Nevey previously said that adding new vessels to the state’s ferry fleet is a key part of a multi-prong approach to restoring service levels.