WA Ferries Prepare For Holiday Travel Surge

SEATTLE — The nation's largest ferry system is gearing up for the holiday rush and preparing to restore more service on the Edmonds-Kingston run on New Year's Day. Officials expect thousands of travelers aboard ferries in the coming days and urge them to plan for potentially busy sailings and long wait times for car boarding.

Some sailing schedules may also be impacted by staffing availability and weather conditions. In general, Washington State Ferries expects the busiest days for westbound trips will be through Christmas Eve, while eastbound volumes will pick up over Christmas and the following few days. Riders can aim for early morning or late-night sailings to beat the crowds.

On Christmas and New Year's Day, all routes will run on their usual Sunday schedules, with a few changes in place for the Mondays after the holidays. Holiday sailing schedules can be found online.

Fortunately, ferry traffic is typically much lower around New Year's Day.

Also starting in the new year is the next step in the ferry system's service restoration plan, which will restore consistent, two-boat service on the Edmonds/Kingston run.