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WSF officials cite aging fleet and high annual usage as reason for urgent replacements
Summary
WSF leaders said the system carries roughly 21 million riders and 11 million cars annually and that 11 of 21 vessels are at or near the end of a 60-year planned lifespan, underscoring urgency for replacement and modernization.
Washington State Ferries officials used the steel-cutting ceremony to stress the operational urgency behind the new-build program, citing system-wide usage and vessel age.
"We carry around 21,000,000 people a year and around 11,000,000 cars," Deputy Secretary Steve Neavey said, and he added that 11 of the system's 21 vessels have reached or are approaching the end of their planned 60-year service lives. Officials said those facts underpin a sustained financial and operational commitment to fleet renewal.
Neavey said the state opened shipbuilding procurement nationwide "for the first time in over 50 years" to secure competitive bids and value for taxpayers. He framed modernizing the fleet as a comprehensive effort that must include terminal improvements, charging infrastructure and workforce development.
