Detours to take if you ride the ferries
Published 12:46 am Wednesday, November 21, 2007
To get from the Olympic Peninsula to Whidbey Island:
Ferry officials said the best alternative for travelers today through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend between Port Townsend and Keystone is to drive to Kingston and take the ferry to Edmonds, then drive to Mukilteo and take the ferry to Clinton.
Ferry officials plan to run an additional boat on the Edmonds-Kingston route today through Sunday. While ferry officials didn’t immediately announce a schedule for the additional boat, departures are anticipated at least twice an hour.
Ferry officials hope to have a passenger-only ferry in service on the Keystone-Port Townsend route by Friday, operating on the same schedule the Klickitat used.
With no car ferry service between Whidbey Island and the Olympic Peninsula, people can expect to spend several hours making what was a 30-minute crossing. Someone with a car should plan to take about three hours to make the trip through Mukilteo and Edmonds. Walk-on passengers should plan a six-hour trip with several bus connections.
The detour is likely to cost more, too.
Drivers can expect to spend nearly $20 for two boats instead of $8.90 to drive onto the Klickitat. Port Townsend-Keystone multi-ride cards and passenger monthly passes will be accepted on the alternative routes, ferry officials said.
Bus information
Community Transit operates bus service between the Edmonds and Mukilteo ferry terminals. Plan to spend about $1.25 for the trip that will take about 90 minutes.
Island Transit runs free buses between Clinton and Keystone. Transfer in Coupeville for 75-minute trip.
Bus service from Port Townsend to Kingston is on Jefferson and Kitsap transit with a connection in Poulsbo. Jefferson Transit Authority does not operate on Thanksgiving. The fare is about $2.50 and it will take about two hours.
For more information
- Washington State Ferries: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries
- Community Transit: www.commtrans.org
- Island Transit: http://islandtransit.org
- Kitsap Transit: http://visitkitsap.com/kitsap.asp
- Jefferson Transit Authority: www.jeffersontransit.com
