Washington State Ferries kicked off the first of two community outreach meetings May 21-22, which provided updates on terminal and vessel electrification, future proposed fare setting and shipbuilding.

Both meetings covered the same information and allowed members of the public to ask questions to WSF leadership.

Regarding future electrification of Jumbo Mark Two ferries, state Department of Transportation deputy secretary and head of WSF, Steve Nevey, said the agency plans to return M/V Wenatchee to service this summer.

M/V Wenatchee is the first vessel in the fleet to undergo a hybrid electrification retrofit, Nevey said.

“The future of the ferry fleet will be hybrid electric, and then the other pillar I mentioned briefly is bringing charging infrastructure down to the terminal so we can charge these boats and then run them in battery mode as often as we can, which is the goal, and we hope to start having that infrastructure in place, starting in 2028 and beyond, so that we can take full advantage of this battery technology,” Nevey said.

This follows Governor Bob Ferguson’s March 6 announcement to delay the retrofitting of the two remaining Jumbo Mark Two ferries until after the World Cup in 2026.

​​ “As a result of this plan, Washington State Ferries will have 18 operating vessels in the water for the first time since 2019,” Ferguson wrote.

Nevey confirmed the agency is still committed to retrofitting additional ferries. In the coming years, WSF plans to retrofit additional vessels from diesel to hybrid electric, he said.

Nevey also confirmed WSF is working on electrification of ferry terminals throughout the network, including Bainbridge Island and Bremerton. Construction is set to begin in 2026, Nevey said.

Regarding frequency and reliability, WSF deputy assistant secretary and executive director John Vezina said he’s excited to reintroduce two boat services on the Seattle to Bremerton route for the first time in three years.

“They’ll get a second boat on June 15, Father’s Day. So we hope a lot of fathers will take advantage of being able to go back and forth more easily between Bremerton and Seattle,” he said.

Todd Lamphere, senior director of finance administration, explained the fare-setting process.

WSF works with the FAC-T Ferry advisory committee on tariffs to develop a proposal that includes getting public input and a review of its fares. WSF then presents the proposal to the state Transportation Commission which ultimately sets the ferry fares, he said.

The legislature sets revenue targets, which Lamphere said are over $408 million.

“I don’t want to confuse this that we’re trying to increase revenue, we’re really just reaching the target that is set for us by the legislature,” he said.

Lamphere said the new budget also provides additional funding for crewing.

“What that really means is where we’re trying to reduce crew related cancellations, and the previous budget, as well as the one going forward, allows us to add crew members so that we can have some redundancy, not just for crewing related cancellations, but also for emergencies where there’s extra crewing to be able to handle that,” he said.

Regarding future vessel plans, WSF is currently evaluating bids for new hybrid electric 160-car ferries with two companies submitting bids.

Vezina also discussed the recent passage of SB5116 regarding passenger conduct throughout the WSF network. He said crew members have faced verbal abuse as well as incidents involving crew members being spit on and some having cars aimed at them.

“We we want to talk about how we can all work together to have a…good and safe sailing experience, but we will absolutely address issues affecting our crews with the Attorney General’s office and with Washington State Patrol to make sure we have the tools we need to address horrifically inappropriate behavior,” he said.

“We’ve all heard the lengthy announcements to start each ferry ride…Our hard-working crew are the beating heart of WSF, but too many have dealt with harassment on the job,” Rep. Greg Nance said, who represents Kitsap County. “Everyone deserves a safe and respectful workplace, free of harassment.”