Some Ferry Routes Returning To Usual Service

EDMONDS, WA — Three Washington State Ferry routes are returning to pre-pandemic levels of service for the first time since late June.

The state's department of transportation announced on Friday that the Edmonds/Kingston and Mukilteo/Clinton routes will again offer two-boat weekend service starting Saturday.

The Seattle/Bainbridge route will also return to daily two-boat services as of Aug. 30, and other routes will be reviewed for increases in service depending on demand and crew availability.

In a news release, the department of transportation said it was forced to limit service starting June 20 because more than 100 high-risk WSF employees were unable to work during the pandemic.

Although the WSDOT was able to hire new workers, mandatory face-to-face training could not be held.

“Over the past month, we welcomed 16 new crewmembers and 10 terminal attendants and actively worked with existing employees to increase staffing availability,” WSF Director of Operations Greg Faust said in a statement. “We’re now at a point that we can incrementally increase service and are working to restore sailings on additional routes in the weeks ahead.”