Seattle–Bainbridge Island Ferry

The Seattle–Bainbridge ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between Seattle and Bainbridge Island, Washington. The route was called the Seattle–Winslow ferry before the city of Winslow annexed the rest of the island and changed its name. Since 1951 the only ferries employed on the route have belonged to the Washington state ferry system, currently the largest ferry system in the United States. The Seattle–Bainbridge Island route is the busiest in the system and was used by over 4.9million total passengers in 2024.

Description

This ferry route is long, with terminals at Colman Dock in Seattle and on Bainbridge Island, at Winslow. Next to the Winslow terminal is Eagle Harbor, the main shipyard for the Washington State Ferry system.Demoro, Harre, ''The Evergreen Fleet'', pp. 45–47 The Seattle–Bainbridge Island route is the busiest in the Washington State Ferries system. In 2024, it carried a total of 4.9million passengers, of which 2.1million were walk-ons. A total of 1.6million vehicles were carried, ranking third in the system.

History

Before ferries were dominant on Puget Sound, the route was served by passenger and freight-carrying steamboats. The wooden steamship ''Florence K'' served the route for the Eagle Harbor Transportation Co., until 1915 when the company put the new steamer ''Bainbridge'' on the route, and shifted ''Florence K'' to the Seattle–Port Washington route.Newell, ed., ''H.W. McCurdy Marine History'', at 90, 254, 326, 351, 372, 425, and 593.

In 1949, the ''Chippewa'' served on the route, except during summers, when the ''Chippewa'' was transferred to the Anacortes-San Juan Islands-Sidney route.Kline and Bayless, ''Ferryboats – A Legend on Puget Sound'', p. 53. From 1951 to 1968, the main ferry on the route was the ''Illahee'' which ran along with the ''Quinault'' (1951–1953), ''Evergreen State'' (1954–1959), and ''Tillikum'' (1959–1968), with the steam ferry ''San Mateo'' occasionally running as an extra boat.

In 1950, the Agate Pass Bridge opened, connecting the north end of Bainbridge Island to the Kitsap Peninsula. The bridge and ferry proved to be a faster option to travel between many parts of the Olympic Peninsula and Seattle, compared to the Seattle–Bremerton ferry route.

By 1968, demand on the Bainbridge Island ferry was exceeding vehicle capacity, so the ''Tillikum'' and ''Illahee'' were reassigned to the Edmonds–Kingston ferry, and replaced by the ''Super''-class vessels ''Kaleetan'' and ''Elwha'', both of which had capacities of 2,500 passengers and 160 automobiles. About five years later, in 1972–1973, the ''Super''-class vessels were displaced by the larger ''Jumbo''-class ferries ''Spokane'' and ''Walla Walla'', which had a lower passenger capacity of 2,000 passengers, but room for 206 automobiles (later downrated to 188 vehicles). The ''Jumbo''-class ferries remained in Bainbridge Island service for more than two decades until they were displaced in turn by the even larger ''Jumbo Mark-II''-class vessels, the ''Tacoma'' and ''Wenatchee'' in 1997–1998, which returned a passenger capacity of 2,500 and a maximum of 202 vehicles.

Construction on a replacement for the Bainbridge Island terminal's pedestrian walkway began in 2022 due to the existing wooden structure's seismic vulnerability; the wooden pilings were also coated in creosote which had negative impacts on the marine environment. The new concrete and steel pilings were completed in mid-2023; the four-span walkway itself was lifted into place during a six-day period in September 2023. During the six days, the Bainbridge Island run was closed to vehicles, bicycles, and scooters due to the need for construction staging on the vehicle loading area. Construction was completed in 2024 at a cost of $33 million.

See also

* Ferries in Washington State

Notes

References

* Demoro, Harre, ''The Evergreen Fleet – A Pictorial History of Washington State Ferries'', Golden West Books, San Marino CA (1971)
* Kline, Mary S., and Bayless, G.A., ''Ferryboats – A Legend on Puget Sound'', Bayless Books, Seattle (1983)
* Newell, Gordon R. ed., ''H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest'', Superior Publishing, Seattle WA (1966)

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Seattle-Winslow Ferry
Ferry routes in western Washington (state)
Transportation in King County, Washington
Water transport in Seattle
History of King County, Washington
Transportation in Kitsap County, Washington
History of Kitsap County, Washington
Bainbridge Island, Washington