Date:  Monday, November 14, 2011

Contact: Marta Coursey , WSF director of communications, 206-515-3918 (Seattle)

Expect extra traffic, holiday schedules and cancelled sailings for low tides

SEATTLE – Families taking the ferry to visit grandma and grandpa this Thanksgiving may want to stay and have an extra helping of turkey. Heavy traffic is expected on all ferry routes through the weekend, some routes are on a revised holiday schedule, and tidal conditions will change travel times.

With the extra traffic and schedule changes, the Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division is advising travelers to plan ahead and check routes and times before leaving.

The longest lines to catch a ferry are expected westbound Wednesday afternoon and evening, Nov. 23, and eastbound Friday morning, Nov. 25.

The Point Defiance/Tahlequah, Seattle/Bainbridge Island, and Mukilteo/Clinton routes will be on a holiday schedule on Thursday, Nov. 24. Schedules are available online and at terminals and vessels. All other routes will be on their regular weekday schedule.

The schedule will be adjusted at the Port Townsend/Coupeville route for low tides that make it difficult to navigate in and out of the narrow, shallow Keystone Harbor. Additional sailings are scheduled to make up for those cancelled. Travelers should check the tidal cancellations website for revised sailing times.

Real-time ferry traffic information and wait times are available by signing up for route-specific email alerts and checking the Coupeville and Port Townsend terminal websites.

Hyperlinks within the news release

· WSF schedule information www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedule
· Tidal cancellations www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedule/AddCancelBySimpleRoute.aspx?routeid=8
· Email alerts sign-up https://secure1.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/account/index.cfm?type=Alerts
· Coupeville terminal information www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/vesselwatch/TerminalDetail.aspx?terminalid=11
· Port Townsend terminal information www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/vesselwatch/TerminalDetail.aspx?terminalid=17 

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 511.

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