One of the highlights of traveling around Seattle is getting around using a ferry. The Washington State Ferry System (WSF) is bracing for 300,000 passengers who all feel the same way. An internal assessment, recently showed that the system is down dozens of employees and years behind in scheduled fleet maintenance.
Worker shortages are effecting a number of state agencies. Crew shortages forced Washington State Ferries to cancel nearly a dozen trips this past Memorial Day Weekend. Friday and Saturday were the busiest travel days so far this year. The bulk of the trips to the San Juan islands were canceled during the morning hours.
WSDPT ferries took to Twitter to communicate directly with the public. The couple of tweets stated that the Anacortes/San Juan Islands boats are running 20 to 30 minutes behind. That seems mild compared to Edmonds ferry terminal, which is among the busiest in the entire grid. It can have patrons waiting for two hours with traffic up the hill.
Experts say that it will take years for the WSF to find and train employees. The assessment also concluded that 200 Licensed Deck Officers, or LDOs, are needed for the full fleet. LDOs consist of Captains and Mates. WSF currently only has 165.
There is a big gap in what is needed and what is there. The Washington State Patrol agency is down over 200 positions. Recruiting classes are reportedly getting smaller and more troopers are reaching retirement age. The state is only bringing in 87 new troopers.
Lawmakers in both houses are seeking to push legislation to address this matter. HB 1846 will expedite the vessel construction process and result in new boats starting in 2027. SB 5550 will expand apprenticeship and internship programs to increase the workforce which also increasescommunity wealth. A big $10.4 million from the budget was pinpointed for the Eagle Harbor maintenance facility.
