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- WSF is moving forward to build three 64-car ferries. A fourth new vessel will be a 144-car ferry if sufficient resources are available.
- In December 2008, WSF awarded a contract to build one 64-car ferry to Todd Pacific Shipyards. The vessel will be used on the Port Townsend / Keystone route.
- With the contract award, the 64-car ferry is on an 18-month timeline.
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OverviewWashington State Ferries are an extension of our state highway system, and ferries connect our communities by carrying nearly 23 million people across Puget Sound waters every year. Replacing the oldest ferries in the fleet with new vessels will improve safety and efficiency, protecting our passengers and ensuring reliable service.
Why do we need new ferries?
Currently, there are 20 auto-passenger ferries in the WSF fleet. Nine of our ferries are between 40 and 60 years old and must be replaced in the next 20 years.
Ferries must be rigorously maintained and preserved in order to last up to 60 years. Building new ferries allows us to retire the oldest vessels, protecting our passengers’ safety and ensuring reliable service. It also allows us to put a ferry on standby so that we can maintain service in case of unforeseen circumstances.
In order to protect the safety of ferry riders and ensure reliable service on ferry routes, we should start replacing the oldest ferries now.
What’s wrong with the old ferries?
Despite rigorous maintenance and preservation, after decades of use in often harsh conditions, a number of problems arise:
- Outdated or obsolete technology results in inefficient operations with exorbitant fuel costs.
- Design features no longer comply with changing regulatory requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies (e.g. fire protection and life-saving design features).
- Older ferries do not comply with the recently updated standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Spare parts are harder to find and install and are extremely expensive.
- Direct replacement of obsolete equipment and machinery becomes impossible, requiring new design work to fit modern replacements to unanticipated applications.
- Ferries designed specifically for operations in the waters of western Washington are unique and have no international and minimal U.S. resale value
- Sixty years of routine wear and tear from normal operations result in maintenance requirements that are uneconomical, including replacement of steel due to corrosion in the salt water environment.
Moving forward to build new ferries
WSDOT is moving forward to build four new ferries. Three of the new ferries will be 64-auto ferries that can carry 650-750 passengers. The fourth new ferry will be a 144-car, 1,500-passenger, multi-use ferry (if sufficient resources are available).
What is the timeline for replacing the oldest ferries?
With the 64-car ferry contract award, the new vessel is on an 18-month construction timeline. Much work remains to be done before new ferries enter the water, but we are moving forward and plan to deliver four new ferries in the next few years.
How can I get more information?
Visit these pages for more details about our new ferry contruction programs:
Contact:
Laura Johnson
WSF Communications
2901 3rd Ave., Suite 500
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 515-3913
WSFnewvesselproject@wsdot.wa.gov