FERRY TRAFFIC ALERT: Fauntleroy tollbooth changes to be tested for four days next week

| Fauntleroy | Transportation | West Seattle news

That two-page flyer explains a test that Washington State Ferries will conduct with tollbooth procedures at the Fauntleroy ferry dock next week – Monday, May 15th, through Thursday, May 18th. It’s the next step in the process we’ve been covering since January, when WSF chose a citizen task force to help come up with “quick wins” aimed at reducing traffic backups and other delays, especially headed outbound from Fauntleroy in the afternoons and evenings. When the task force finished its first round of meetings in late March – as reported here – those “quick wins” were announced as a two-part plan, changing tollbooth procedures so four vehicles could be processed each minute instead of three, and a big public-information campaign to make sure everyone knows what’s going on (including encouraging ferry users to buy advance tickets).

They also agreed that the proposed changes should be tested in May before potential official implementation in June. So that’s what will happen next week – as detailed on the flyer above. WSF spokesperson Brian Mannion tells WSB that “WSF’s internal implementation team (comprised of experienced terminal staff, vessel crew and supervisors on the route), will be on site all this week to discuss the changes with WSF workers, drivers and passengers” before the test project starts next Monday.

K'lo May 8, 2017 (5:17 pm)

Altho it is stated that there is no “double stop”, once a vehicle has been processed at the tollbooth and had their ticket redeemed, they will be given a reusable card that will be collected by a WSF employee just beyond the booth so the vehicle can be directed to th proper lane. Still a double stop….same traffic situation as before. Going to be an interesting 4 days!

Lee May 8, 2017 (9:24 pm)

Where did you read they will collect and reuse the destination cards? Am I missing it on the flyer or in the article?
- Scott A May 9, 2017 (5:19 am)
  
  The V and F cards are shown on page 2 of the PDF that’s linked in the story. I assume in the final plan these cards might be reusable?
  
  https://www.scribd.com/mobile/document/347746781/Fauntleroy-ferry-dock-traffic-test?skip_app_promo=true
  - Lee May 11, 2017 (11:42 pm)
    
    I saw the cards in the flyer but nothing about them collecting those from drivers. It doesn’t make sense to do it if they are trying to eliminate that second interaction with the WSF worker.
Wango May 9, 2017 (8:19 am)

In the old process you received a colored boarding pass giving location and vehicle passenger. The tickets were taken after you left the booth. In the pilot process next week all transactions will be at the toll booth. You will receive a reusable color card , which you keep and your recipt. Put the colored card in a visible area , dashboard etc. Toll booth will either give you a lane assignment or the traffic attendant’s will give you a lane via handsignals or verbally with out having to stop you. The reusable colored cards serve as a visual to where your going. Not having to scan or collect tickets AFTER the tollbooth will hope to cut transactions times allowing more vehicles on to the dock. It’s the hope that customers be prepared as they enter the toll booth and remember load space is still restricted to the size of the dock.

WestSeattleCoug May 8, 2017 (5:52 pm)

Ahem…you have the ending date wrong. It should be Thursday the 18th.

WSB May 8, 2017 (5:53 pm)

Fixed, thanks.

ACG May 8, 2017 (10:15 pm)

Seems to me like it is a capacity issue also. When traffic is backing up past the gas station and on up to the Kenney, I’m sure those cars are waiting a sailing or two before they get on a ferry. But, if the changes speed up the process for boarding the cars that can fit on a run, then that’s a little bit of an improvement, I guess.

Fauntleroyguy May 14, 2017 (8:39 pm)

They expressly noted these changes were the easy, low-hanging fruit of improvements. Which is to say, don’t expect much in the way of noticeable changes if you’re living in the Fauntleroy neighborhood.

If we could figure out the best, least offensive way to get silly people from blocking the road by the park on busy days, that would certainly help.

But alas, the real problem is too many single occupancy vehicle commuters attempting to use Fauntleroy Way as a highway to downtown when it really functions as a residential two way street. Which is what it was built as and short of buying up a few miles of Right of Way and paving that, it will always be.

M May 15, 2017 (10:11 pm)

Expand the dock like WSF proposed a while ago, so that cars don’t have to line up along Lincoln Park. But residents right by the dock keep blocking that.

Sorry, comment time is over.