Two new ferry ticketing procedures are being implemented at the Fauntleroy ferry terminal in an effort to load ferries more efficiently, but commuters last week voiced frustrations with the new systems.

The first of the changes is that, as of May 23, pre-ticketed vehicles can use a bypass lane in the form of a designated tollbooth. The bypass lane only applies during peak travel times in the mornings and evenings on weekdays.

“The bypass lane does not give the ability to drive around the entire toll booth, but makes a dedicated booth (for pre-ticketed vehicles),” Washington State Ferries (WSF) Communications Manager Brian Mannion said.

The current plan for the bypass lane is a departure from the expectations that many commuters had, thinking the tollbooths could be bypassed all together. A flier distributed to commuters before the May 23 change indicated that all vehicles must stop at the tollbooths, but was accompanied by an illustration on the back that showed the bypass lane as going around the tollbooths.

The head of Vashon’s Ferry Advisory Committee, Greg Beardsley, said that WSF is trying and has heard commuters’ comments, but this “bypass lane” is not what was discussed.

“Bypassing the toll booths during peak hours, that was the plan,” Beardsley said. “The plan was no extra paperwork, but for some reason, that didn’t happen. Now, there’s extra papers and confused people.”

On top of the bypass lane, WSF has changed how those going to Vashon and those going to Southworth are sorted. For a few days recently, during peak travel times, WSF employees handed out paper boarding passes at Fauntleroy and then collected them while boarding. That process was changed last week. Now, colored pieces of paper representing either Southworth or Vashon are given to drivers, who are to reuse them om future ferry trips.

Mannion said that handing the boarding passes back led to more lost time while boarding.

WSF officials made these changes after a meeting with islanders in March, when it was made clear that loading and ticketing at Fauntleroy had to change. The small dock that handles thousands of cars every day occasionally sees ferries leaving without being completely full for the sake of staying on schedule.

“We’re responding to feedback from the meetings. A lot of the construction on the Vashon dock is ending, and we’re finding creative ways to meet needs,” Mannion said about why the changes were implemented.

An alert last week from WSF explained that the ferry system is “painfully aware of the challenges and frustrations” commuters face on the triangle route.