Last week Washington State Ferries compiled and released more than 400 comments it received from members of communities served by the triangle route.

The comments, collected during the ferry system’s listening tour, were transcribed verbatim. They run the gamut from stating boats should be filled during busy times before they sail and suggesting that Ferries buy nearby houses to allow for enlarging the Fauntleroy ferry dock to improving worker training and adhering to a schedule.

The comments will help guide the work of a task force to be created within the next two months, which will be asked to provide “quick wins” to improve service by next summer as well as explore long-term solutions to the troublesome route.

In an email that accompanied the comments, Broch Bender, a Ferries spokesperson, noted that the comments frequently varied by community. On Vashon, as previously reported, many of those comments centered on restoring the bypass lane and revising ticketing procedures. Several comments from Southworth addressed specific schedule changes, while many people at Fauntleroy expressed concerns about parking. Bender also noted there was some common ground.

“Importantly, there was one area of broad agreement: Improving traffic control, safety and the flow in and around the Fauntleroy terminal,” she stated in the email. “The feedback includes many different ideas on how to achieve these improvements.”

The comments were emailed to all of the people who signed in to the meetings and provided their email addresses. They are also expected to be made available this week on the ferry system’s website, wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.

People who would like to receive the comments and did not or who would like to receive updates as this process progresses should email WSFComms@wsdot.wa.gov.

— Susan Riemer