We interrupt this beautiful day to bring you beautiful news – more water taxi service is floating your way starting Monday, June 22!
As Washington State moves forward with its “Safe Start” plan, King County Metro’s Marine Division is enhancing service on the water taxi routes to Vashon Island and West Seattle starting next week. Both routes will operate a Monday to Friday commuter schedule.
This means that service will triple over its current level of service.
Vashon will move from one morning sailing and one afternoon sailing to three round-trip sailings each commute period. West Seattle will move from two morning sailings and two afternoon sailings to six round-trip sailings each commute period.
With these additional sailings comes the restoration of routes 773 and 775 to deliver customers to Seacrest Dock in West Seattle and routes 118 and 119 to deliver customers to Vashon Ferry Terminal in Vashon Island.
New schedule starting Monday, June 22
West Seattle Route
| Departs Pier 50 | Departs West Seattle |
| 5:55 AM | 6:15 AM |
| 6:30 AM | 6:50 AM |
| 7:05 AM | 7:25 AM |
| 7:40 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 8:15 AM | 8:35 AM |
| 8:50 AM | 9:10 AM |
| 3:25 PM | 3:45 PM |
| 4:05 PM | 4:25 PM |
| 4:45 PM | 5:05 PM |
| 5:25 PM | 5:45 PM |
| 6:05 PM | 6:25 PM |
| 6:45 PM | 7:05 PM |
Vashon Island Route
| Departs Pier 50 | Departs Vashon |
| 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM |
| 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM |
| 7:40 AM | 8:15 AM |
| 4:30 PM | 4:58 PM |
| 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM |
| 6:30 PM | 6:58 PM |
Water taxi crew member dons a cloth mask
King County Metro has also restored bus trips throughout the county. Metro will operate more than 11,000 weekday bus trips, or 85% of its pre-COVID service level. Saturday service will be 8,200 trips (99%) and Sunday service will be 7,000 trips (99%). Starting Monday, Metro’s will increase the number of transit operators providing service from 64% to about 80% of pre-COVID levels. You can read all about it here.
With locals beginning to travel to work and recreation once again, it’s important to note that social distancing passenger limits are in effect on the water taxi. The typical capacity aboard both Doc Maynard and Sally Fox is 278 passengers. With current COVID restrictions, we’re limited to 86 passengers on each vessel. Our current ridership is far below that threshold and the additional sailings should help preserve that social distancing.
Water taxi also continues to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through regular cleaning and disinfecting between sailings, and masks are currently required for both passengers and crew.
We will continue to monitor ridership patterns on both water taxi routes and make smart service adjustments, as resources allow. Thank you to those who have written to us with your suggestions.
We hope to see you on the high seas soon!
Captain's Blog 