Date:  Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Contact: Susan Harris-Huether, Senior Programs Manager, 206-515-3460

PORT TOWNSEND – Customers planning to take their vehicles on the Port Townsend/Keystone ferry in May should make their reservations now. Vehicle reservations are expected to fill up next month, a busy time with the closure of the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and the Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival.

Customers can make vehicle reservations online (www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries), by calling 5-1-1 between 7 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. (expanded hours to meet increased demand), or by visiting participating businesses or visitor centers in Port Townsend and on Whidbey Island. Vehicle reservations are already full for some of the most popular sailing times this weekend (May 1-3).

WSF expects high demand on the Port Townsend/Keystone route during the six-week SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge closure that begins Friday, May 1, because the ferry will be one of the most convenient ways to travel between the Olympic Peninsula and the Puget Sound. WSF anticipates that a high percentage of vehicle reservation holders will redeem their reservations during the bridge closure, which will decrease the amount of standby customers that can travel. WSF encourages commuters as well as infrequent travelers to make vehicle reservations well in advance of their dates of travel. Vehicle reservations are available 30 days in advance.

In addition to providing the Port Townsend/Keystone vehicle reservations system, WSDOT is making many other preparations to handle increased ferry traffic this spring:

• Providing temporary ferry service between Port Townsend and Edmonds Sunday through Thursday evenings during the Hood Canal Bridge closure. Vehicle reservations for this service are available by calling 1-877-595-4222.
• Providing water shuttle service and bus shuttles to Kingston and Bainbridge during the Hood Canal Bridge closure. More information is available on the project Web site (www.HoodCanalBridge.com).
• Informing customers of their travel options during the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge closure, including the water shuttle, and transit and medical transport connections at Lofall and South Point. The information campaign includes updates posted on the project and ferry system Web sites, staff outreach on the vessels, and informational materials in the terminals and on the vessels.
• Providing a larger vessel on the Seattle/Bremerton route for customers that wish to use SR 3 and SR 101 to reach the Olympic Peninsula during the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge closure.
• Increasing WSF customer service staff during the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge closure.
• Increasing WSF terminal staff on holiday weekends (Mother’s Day and Memorial Day).

WSF is not able to provide increased service on the Port Townsend/Keystone route this spring. The ferry system has not received funding for extra spring weekend service on the route, which was provided during the peak season last year. There will be no extra trips this spring on weekend evenings and Monday mornings to help manage the extra traffic during those times. This makes vehicle reservations even more crucial for customers on this route.

For more ferry system information, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries. To sign up for free e-mail alerts about service disruptions and other route information, click on the link in the far left column of the Web site.

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