Feb. 12, 2026

A message from Steve

Black History Month is a reminder that at Washington State Ferries, we describe our work using a simple analogy: we are all rowing together toward the same goal. This month calls attention to the reality that not everyone has always had the same opportunity to be in the boat or to have their contributions recognized. One way that history matters is by acknowledging those contributions and carrying those lessons into how we treat people and deliver public service today.

I’m proud we are committed to building a workforce representing the communities we serve. Every qualified Washingtonian has the opportunity to work with us. That responsibility applies to both the customers who rely on our service and the employees who keep this system running. Our job is to keep boats running, communities connected and trust growing. We do that by supporting our workforce and providing reliable service that treats everyone with dignity.

This work requires judgment, consistency and a willingness to learn from one another. It means valuing our differences rather than being threatened by them, as we make decisions affecting the system and each other. This is part of the everyday work of public service: doing the best we can with the resources we have and staying focused on the people who depend on us.

When everyone has a seat in the boat, we are stronger together as we row with a shared purpose to serve Washington with respect, teamwork and pride. Here is a group of new hires and instructors during an orientation for engine room employees last year.

3% card payment recovery fee begins Sunday, March 1

Starting Sunday, March 1, a 3% cost recovery surcharge will be added to all credit and debit card transactions. This change was directed by the Washington State Legislature (RCW 47.60.860) to recover the cost of processing card payments, which has previously been borne by the state. The 3% recovery fee applies to all in-person, kiosk and online fare purchases, including single-ride, multi-ride and ReValue tickets. It also covers no-show fees for vehicle reservations and carpool and vanpool permits. The cost recovery surcharge does not apply to fees for memorial services, annual business accounts or promotional activities like tabletops and film or photo shoots. Customers can avoid the cost recovery surcharge by paying with cash or using a preloaded ORCA card. If a transaction is refunded, the 3% fee will also be refunded. See our ticket information page for a full list of accepted payment options.

Starting Sunday, March 1, a 3% cost recovery fee will be added to all tickets purchased in person, at a kiosk and online with a credit or debit card.

Seahawks Super Bowl parade brings huge ridership

Yesterday was a day for us. We carried 46,321 people across our system. This is much more than a typical winter Wednesday because of the Seahawks Super Bowl parade. On a similar day last year (Feb. 12, 2025), we had 37,155 riders. Our Seattle/Bainbridge route led the way with 12,388 passengers, followed by Mukilteo/Clinton with 8,377, Edmonds/Kingston with 7,545 and Seattle/Bremerton with 6,542. Hats off to our employees for safely moving so many people to and from the celebration. Our vessel crews and terminal staff did an excellent job handling large crowds and keeping service running as smoothly as possible. Kudos to our External Relations team as well. They shared information ahead of time and helped riders prepare for delays and long waits. Finally, thank you to our customers for your patience on one of the busiest days ever for our system and for transit agencies across the region. Go Hawks!

A sea of 12s filled our Colman Dock terminal building yesterday afternoon.

Shore-to-vessel charging system wins engineering award

I’m proud to share that our shore-to-vessel charging system has won a Best in State – Gold Award for engineering excellence from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Washington. This award honors the technical skill, innovation and careful coordination behind the project. The charging system is a key part of our System Electrification Program. David Evans and Associates served as the lead designer. Their team developed a system that connects our ferries, terminals and the electric grid in a smooth, reliable way. Hill International managed the project, brought teams together and worked with local utilities to make sure the design meets all operational and regulatory requirements. Congratulations to everyone involved. Your vision and expertise are helping us move toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Rendering of shore-to-vessel charging system.

One year of sharing ferry life on Instagram

Saturday, Feb. 14, marks our one-year anniversary on Instagram. We launched our @wastateferries page on Valentine’s Day last year as a fun, creative way to connect with our customers, ferry fans and the world. Instagram gives us another platform to share the sights, sounds and stories of life across our system. And it appears there’s an appetite for that. We’ve already amassed more than 32,000 followers. Much of that growth is thanks to our vessel crews and terminal staff. As our eyes and ears out in the fleet, they are in the best position to capture our most inspiring, breathtaking and unforgettable moments.

A Dec. 11 post showing a ghost boat drifting through our Mukilteo terminal early that morning was by far our most popular in our first year on Instagram. Ticket Seller Amy Bond captured the video.

Sailing stats for week of Feb. 2-8

We are now sharing on-time performance data to help our customers better understand how our system is running. For the week of Feb. 2-8, our systemwide on-time performance (sailings that left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure) was 93.5%. By comparison, it was 96.8% during a similar week last year (Feb. 3-9, 2025). To view our on-time performance by month going back to 2017, visit our on-time performance reports page.

Customer kudos

“RAVE to the Washington State Ferries staff at Anacortes for not only helping my husband with first aid when he fell at the terminal (he zigged, the dog zagged, and down he went), but also for alerting everyone from the booth staff on back that we’d be returning for a later boat after getting him stitched up in the ER. They made it so easy, and with a level of coordination I wouldn’t have expected. Thanks for making a hard day a little easier.”

-Anacortes/San Juan Islands route customer in The Seattle Times

Steve Nevey
WSDOT Deputy Secretary for Washington State Ferries