Planning study news
After nearly two years of work by Washington State Ferries staff and San Juan Islands communities the winter, spring/fall and summer season sailing schedules for the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route have been updated.
Purpose
How the sailing schedules were developed
Since the schedule was last updated more than a decade ago, the Anacortes/San Juan Island route has seen a lot of change, including ridership growth, the addition of vehicle reservations, and recent vessel and crewing challenges. The new schedule includes adjusted island stops, revised sailing times, and updated vehicle allotments for each island. These schedule changes help improve on-time performance and provide more certainty for customers that boats will arrive and depart on time.
How community engagement informed this process
For nearly two years, we worked closely with a 24-member community task force to create the new schedules based on local priorities. We looked to the unique perspectives of all customers, and input was gathered from rider groups, business owners, government agencies, and individuals across each community.
The Anacortes/San Juan Islands route has seen a lot of change in the last several years, including the implementation of vehicle reservations, vessel breakdowns and reassignments, alternative service due to COVID-19 and crewing constraints. Providing reliable service, one of the goals of the WSF 2040 Long Range Plan, for customers traveling on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route requires a schedule that balances frequent connections and capacity to move customers with operational and budget constraints.
The San Juan Islands sailing schedule needs to be updated to improve on-time performance and reliability and to align with the reservations program that started in 2015. Current seasonal sailing schedules have not been updated in 10-15 years.
Goals of updating the sailing schedule
- Improve on-time performance.
- Support reliability of service and system.
- Provide adequate travel opportunities for key user groups.
- Maintain as much capacity as possible.
Task Force
In addition to broad community engagement through public meetings, websites and other tools, WSF established a task force to provide advice and recommendations on sailing schedule changes. The task force is an advisory group charged with examining current sailings schedules, reviewing options developed by WSF and making recommendations. The task force will help WSF prioritize changes and review impacts to WSF customers and residents of San Juan County.
In order to complete this charge, the task force has met and will continue to meet at key milestones (virtually or in person), or review information by email, to identify and prioritize areas of focus and recommend improvements for WSF consideration. Task force members represent their community and provide input on community engagement opportunities and how to ensure public comment is reflected in the schedule development process.
Online Open House
Washington State Ferries hosted an online open house from July 29-Aug. 23, 2024 to give community members the chance to view draft schedules, provide feedback and learn more about the process for updating sailing schedules on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route. WSF staff is now compiling the information provided and working to implement it into the sailing schedules.
Public meetings
Washington State Ferries hosted two virtual public information sessions to discuss the process for updating sailing schedules for the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route.