After a week of long lines and frequent delays, ferry officials say island commuters are in for more of the same in the coming weeks.

A trifecta of factors is creating the latest problems, according to Washington State Ferries (WSF) spokesman Brian Mannion, who said ferry officials continue to seek solutions for the Vashon-Fauntleroy-Southworth route amid the current challenges.

“The high level of traffic, construction at the Vashon ferry dock and the Tillikum on the route, all that stacks up for some of the delays we are seeing right now,” he said.

Many passengers complained last week, as the Fauntleroy ferry line snaked well into West Seattle, while the ferry system sent out notices indicating waits of up two hours were possible. On Vashon, many commuters have begun sharing their thoughts about what they think might ease the situation, and while many of the suggestions would not work, Mannion said, there is hope for some others.

Elaborating on some of the current challenges facing ferry travelers, Mannion said that while the Tillikum is replacing the Sealth, which is in dry dock for maintenance until November, the Tillikum is slated to be on the route only until Sept. 19. At that time, the Kitsap is expected to replace it, giving the route three Issaquah-class vessels, capable of carrying 90 to 124 cars and traveling at 16 knots. The Tillikum, the ferry system’s only back up boat, is slower than the Issaquah class boats, and when it gets behind, Mannion said, it is not capable of making up time.

Additionally, he said, the construction at the Vashon ferry dock, which is taking place underneath the structure, is causing some delays and will likely continue to the end of the month. When workers were under the dock and evaluating the work, they found more repairs were necessary than originally had been planned for. Work often occurs at high tide, Mannion added, and in addition to slips needing to be closed some for that work, ferries must maintain a slower approach when they dock to ensure worker safety. Mannion noted that ferry riders should be prepared for delays of 35 to 60 minutes until the work is completed.

Finally, it is peak ferry travel time, and ridership is up systemwide. As a comparison, he said that in January 2015 on the Vashon-Fauntleroy run, more than 84,600 vehicles went through, and in August of 2015, that number rose to more than 101,600 vehicles. There is even more traffic this year, he said, and systemwide the ferries are seeing a 2 percent increase in vehicle traffic over last year. While ferries gear up for the summer season each year, he said, the system cannot easily absorb all of the extra vehicles into the schedule.

Last week, Greg Beardsley, who heads the Vashon Ferry Advisory Committee, said he was one of the ferry passengers stuck in a line that went back to The Kenney, so he experienced the current frustration firsthand.

He noted that this spring, the ferry system attempted to help with the flow of traffic on the Fauntleroy ferry dock but that roll out did not go as planned, and the effort ended fairly quickly. To that end, he said, he expected that he and fellow committee members would draft a proposal for the ferry system soon, asking that it begin addressing the problems at Fauntleroy again.

Mannion said the ferry system, too, is trying to address the issues.

“We are looking at that situation. We took a try at a solution that did not work and are back at the drawing board right now,” he said. “We know the same problems that persisted before persist now.”

The current situation is a complex one, Beardsley added, as the Fauntleroy dock is far too small for the amount of traffic that uses it, the ferry system has inadequate funding to hire people to manage cars more efficiently on the dock and many of the ferries are beyond their expected lifespan, all while ridership is growing.

“I am sure people are upset, and they have every right to be. As much as I would like to say it is all Ferries’ fault, the legislature and governor have not funded transportation for 20 years,” he said. “Our infrastructure is in the tank.”

A look at the ferry advisory group’s Facebook page shows a range of suggestions for change, though both Beardsley and Mannion indicated that many of them, though they sound plausible, are impossible.

Some passengers have suggested designating one booth for ticketed vehicles and one for non-ticketed vehicles, but Beardsley said the dock does not have room for that, particularly with cars lining up for multiple destinations.

Others have suggested allowing ticketed passengers to bypass those buying tickets, as used to occur, but Mannion said the ferry system is committed to a first-come, first-served model of business. He noted people should think of getting on a ferry as though they are boarding a bus and that bus riders with Orca cards do not get to go ahead of people paying with coins and bills.

Still others have suggested that people buy their ferry passes on their phones while they wait in line, but that is not typically an option either. Not all fares, such as those for seniors and children, are available online because ages need to be verified, and handheld scanners on the dock cannot read tickets on phone screens. At times, Mannion added, workers in the booths have read a ticket on a phone, but those have been times of special assistance, not routine business.

The possibility of a ferry worker going to cars in line and selling tickets has also been suggested, and Mannion said WSF is evaluating that as a possibility.

“We can’t speculate if it is viable from staffing, technology or funding standpoints, but we are looking at it,” he said.

Both Beardsley and Mannion noted that when possible, islanders should purchase their tickets before they travel, as that speeds up the process on the dock. However, Beardsley stressed, more commuter civility is also in order.

“We have all got to pack our patience,” he said.

He noted that some ferry workers quit because they were so verbally abused.

“I would not say the abuse has stopped with the Tillikum,” he added.

Before it makes other changes, Mannion said the ferry system will reach out to islanders for feedback, though he is not yet sure when that will be. In the meantime, he said, islanders who have suggestions are welcome to submit their thoughts via Twitter @wsdot or @wsferries or via email at wsfinfo@wsdot.wa.gov.