Published date: February 15, 2024
Washington State Ferries
by Susann Babaei, PE, SCJ Alliance – APWA History Committee
The Washington State Ferries (WSF) are an iconic part of the state’s transportation network. They run 10 routes designated as part of the State Highway System throughout the Salish Sea and serve as a crucial connection between communities in the Salish Sea. The agency maintains the largest fleet of ferries in the United States at 21 vessels. It is also the second largest vehicular ferry system in the world for daily passengers (Washington State Ferries, 2023).
This iconic system began operation on June 1, 1951. However, cross Puget Sound lines have existed since the earliest settlers. During the late 19th and early 20th century a “mosquito fleet” consisting of small private steamer lines served as maritime transportation across the Puget Sound. By 1935 only the Puget Sound Navigation Company also known at the Black Ball Line still existed (Washington State Ferries, 2023).
Black Ball Line Ad Credit: Wikipedia
The Black Ball Line was owned by Captain Alexander Peabody. He kept fares low during World War II to aid in the war effort, but after the war with the cost of living increasing, he attempted to raise fares. His first request for a 10 percent increase was granted, but his second request, a 30 percent increase, was subject to review by the State Department of Transportation (Stein, 2001). Ferry riders weren’t pleased with the rise in rates or with maritime strikes that left them stranded. After the State DOT deemed the 30 percent rate increase unwarranted, Captain Peabody had to refund commuters. This left him in a financially precarious position, and he threatened to shut down the system completely. The public, fearing a shutdown, began appealing to the state to create a system that could compete against the Black Ball Line monopoly. Some people felt that the state should buy out the ferry company and run it as a public utility. Even people who didn’t support a government run system believed it would be a good temporary solution until the state could build planned floating bridges across the Puget Sound (Stein, 2001).
Governor Arthur Langlie began negotiations with Captain Peabody in 1948. On December 30, 1949, it was announced that the state would buy most of the equipment and operations of the Black Ball Line. Service began on June 1, 1951. The State run system proved skeptics wrong. The Washington State Ferries restored reliability to the system for the first time since World War II while keeping fares affordable (Stein, 2001).
The oldest ferry still in use today is the MV Tillikum. It was built in 1959 and has an automobile capacity of 87 and a passenger capacity of 1061. The ship can reach speeds of 15 mph and is used as the interisland ferry between the San Juan Islands (Washington State Ferries, 2023).
MV Kalakala painted in Port Angeles Credit: Wikipedia
Another notable ferry was the MV Kalakala. She was notable for her streamlined superstructure, art deco styling and luxurious amenities. She was also a popular attraction. She was voted second only to the Space Needle in popularity among visitors to the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair (MV Kalakala, 2023). The Kalakala was purchased by Captain Peabody for the Black Ball Line. The name Kalaka means “bird” in the Chinook language. She was put to work serving the Seattle Bremerton Line. In 1946 she was issued Federal Communications Commission license #001 when she was fitted with the first commercial radar system (MV Kalakala, 2023).
Her design was meant to mimic an aircraft. She also had a modernistic art-deco interior with a full-service galley, a ladies’ lounge, a men’s bar, and showers for dockyard workers travelling home from their jobs at Bremerton (MV Kalakala, 2023). However, her design did not lead to increased functionality. The setback of the wheelhouse which was meant to emulate a cockpit made it impossible to see the bow, leading to difficulties docking. The streamlined size and round windows also made visibility difficult. The narrow car deck led to a 40 percent drop in vehicles carried in the postwar years as vehicle size increased. This led to Kalakala becoming obsolete. In 1967 she was retired and sold. She experienced a short second life working in Alaska in the seafood industry. She was returned to Seattle in 1998. Several attempts were made to restore her, but they all failed. She was dismantled in 2015 with pieces of her sold as souvenirs (MV Kalakala, 2023).
Ferry Routes, Credit: WSDOT
Today new designs continue to be innovated in the ferry system including electrification of the fleet to reduce the carbon footprint. In 2022, 17,375,400 people rode the system. The Washington State Ferry system continues to be an integral part of the State transportation system and demonstrates how important public infrastructure is to the State.
Work’s Cited
“Washington State Ferries” Wikipedia. 5 December 2023 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Ferries
Stein, Alan J. “Turning Point 9: The Sound and the Ferry: The Birth of Washington State Ferries.” HistoryLink.org 2 June 2001.
“MV Kalakala” Wikipedia. 5 December 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Kalakala