Attendees to receive an overview of new Service Contingency Plan
SEATTLE – Washington State Ferries will share updates on its system-wide service during two upcoming virtual community meetings.
The 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, and 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, online meetings will also include an overview of the recently released Service Contingency Plan (PDF 834KB), which outlines how WSF will add service as vessels and crewing become available. Deputy Assistant Secretary Nicole McIntosh will lead the meetings in coordination with the Ferry Advisory Committees, appointed representatives of ferry-served communities who advise WSF.
Both meetings will cover the same material and are designed to give participants the option to join on Zoom when it best fits their schedule. Most of the time will be devoted to answering questions from participants. People can participate from a laptop, desktop or mobile device.
"Our biannual community meetings are an opportunity to update the public on current issues and most importantly, giving customers an opportunity to ask questions directly to management," said McIntosh. "Our recently released Service Contingency Plan is a roadmap for adding service for the next couple of years and we look forward to hearing feedback on it and discussing other issues important to our passengers."
Advanced registration for meetings required
- Register for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17
- Register for 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18
- Video recordings will be available to view online the day after each meeting on WSF’s Community participation page.
People who do not have broadband service can find free, temporary internet access locations online.
Service Contingency Plan
WSF’s Service Contingency Plan provides a transparent outline of how it plans to add service – sometimes temporarily – when it has the available vessels and crewing to do so. The plan also details how WSF intends to make service decisions during unplanned and/or emergency disruptions as it manages maintenance of an aging 21-boat fleet with schedules that currently require at least 15 vessels to be in operation.
WSF, a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation, is the largest ferry system in the U.S. and safely and efficiently carries tens of millions of people a year through some of the most majestic scenery in the world. For the latest service updates, sign up for rider alerts and track each ferry using the real-time map online.