Washington State Ferries says it’s making some changes in a month regarding how fares are collected, including: No more checks. Read on for details of the WSF announcement:

Ferry riders next month can expect to see several fare
collection improvements beginning Wednesday, Feb. 25, including:

* Eliminating checks and Canadian currency as forms of payment.

* Separating the Senior/Disabled Passenger fare into two
categories.

* Eliminating discounted, single round-trip fares (senior,
disabled and youth), from kiosks at WSF terminals and from the WSF Web
site (discounted fares will still be available at tollbooths).

Eliminating checks and Canadian currency as forms of payment
Checks accounted for less than 4.5 percent of all forms of payment
collected by WSF in 2008. Eliminating checks will save as much as
$50,000 annually in processing fees. Customers who use checks are
encouraged to use other forms of payment accepted by WSF including cash,
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, debit cards, traveler’s
checks and money orders.

WSF is also eliminating Canadian currency as a form of payment, which
now is only accepted at the Anacortes terminal. This change simplifies
fare collection and aligns operations at Anacortes with the other
terminals in the ferry system.

Separating the Senior/Disabled Passenger fare into two categories
WSF is separating the current Senior/Disabled Passenger fare into two
single categories (Senior or Disabled) and is offering new ReValue cards
for senior passengers or disabled passengers. By signing up for the
ReValue card online, customers can avoid extra trips to the ticket booth
and extra online transactions when purchasing fares. ReValue cards
automatically replenish, charging a credit card every 90 days or when
all of the trips are used. The new senior or disabled ReValue cards are
good for five round-trips in 90 days. WSF will continue to honor
Senior/Disabled Convenience Cards purchased prior to Feb. 25 until Oct.
10, 2009.

Customers can also go to the tollbooth and purchase as many senior or
disabled single round-trip tickets as needed. Senior or disabled single
round-trip tickets are valid for 90 days from the date of purchase.

Eliminating discounted, single round-trip fares, from kiosks at WSF
terminals and from the WSF Web site
WSF is eliminating discounted single round-trip fares that require proof
of eligibility (senior, disabled and youth) from kiosks at our terminals
and from the WSF Web site. Purchases of these tickets increased by 19
percent in 2006, the first year of Wave2Go sales from unstaffed kiosks
and from the Web site. Beginning Feb. 25, these tickets will only be
available for purchase at tollbooths.

Customers must provide valid proof of age or eligibility for all senior,
disabled and youth tickets. For online ReValue purchases, customers must
download and fill out a form to submit with a scanned copy of proof of
age or eligibility. These changes will ensure that discounts are
preserved for those who are eligible.

For more information on these changes and the new ReValue cards for
senior or disabled passengers, call 1-888-808-7977 or visit the WSF
Wave2Go store online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/wave2go/ beginning Feb. 25.