Washington State Ferries started welcoming Bremerton and Bainbridge Island route passengers to the newly completed terminal building at Colman Dock recently. The completed project can accommodate 10 million passengers annually. Crews began construction in 2017. There is more than 20,000 square feet of passenger space, providing room for 1,900 ferry riders. There is a whopping twelve turnstiles for each route including six that are ADA-accessible. This will for sure make traveling much easier and enjoyable for the holidays.
The new terminal building improves safety with the upgrading to current seismic standards. It also improves passenger circulation and queuing. Many who either come into Seattle or moving around the city love the option of having a ferry. The building was constructed in stages as the old terminal building was torn down.
Seating capacity of 362 seats—triple the amount of the old terminal building. Restroom capacity will double from the existing one-third of the building. Ticket purchasing is still available online, at the ticket booth on the temporary walkway and at kiosks inside the terminal building. Elevator access is near the passenger only ferry terminal, as it currently is.
The WSF, a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation, is the largest ferry system in the U.S. and goes through some of the most majestic scenery in the world. When the project is fully complete in spring 2023, passengers will benefit from the following improvements:
A new entry building along Alaskan Way and the elevated pedestrian connector into the terminal building.
Additional elevator access from Alaskan Way, with additional passenger drop-off and pick-up in front of the new terminal building.
Seamless access to the ferry terminal above ground. Passengers will be able to reach ferries without stairs or elevators from downtown Seattle by taking the elevated walkway above Marion Street, going through the entry building, crossing the elevated connector, and arriving at the terminal building.
In addition, there will be a total of 10 food and retail vendor locations in the terminal building and in the rest of the project. These will be available once the project is complete and vendor buildouts are finished.
