Whidbey commuters get update on ferry electrification, staffing concerns

Whidbey commuters heard two messages at once: Washington State Ferries is making progress on cleaner terminals and boats, but the relief riders care about most will take years to arrive. At the same time, the agency said its hiring push has helped cut cancellations to the lowest level since 2020, a change that matters immediately to South Whidbey families, workers and businesses that depend on the Mukilteo-Clinton run.

Clinton is one of four terminals where electrification work is already underway. Agency staff said design for the Clinton terminal is about 30% complete, with final design expected next summer, construction anticipated in fall 2027 and operations at Clinton ideally starting by 2029. The terminal’s overhead-loading improvement project carries $40 million in funding and a 2026-2029 timeline, and the agency said it also plans a new walkway at the ferry terminal to make boarding easier and safer.

The broader program is much larger than one terminal. Washington State Ferries says it is working toward a 70% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 by electrifying as many as 16 terminals, building 16 new hybrid vessels and retrofitting six existing diesel ferries. The state transportation department says ferry operations are the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions among Washington state agencies, and that the system burns about 19 million gallons of diesel each year to carry nearly 20 million passengers.

For Whidbey riders, the Mukilteo-Clinton route is the key piece. The run carried 3.7 million riders in 2023 and again 3.7 million riders in 2025, making it one of the busiest in the system. WSDOT said the first new vessels in the electrification program will serve that route, which means the payoff for South Whidbey will come only after the terminal and vessel work is far enough along to change how the line operates day to day.

The near-term story is still about reliability. Washington State Ferries said it has hired more than 250 employees since 2022, reversing a difficult staffing stretch. The agency said cancellations fell from 2,620 in 2024 to 2,222 in 2025, the lowest since 2020, and that it completed 98.6% of scheduled sailings in 2025. Full service was restored to three routes in June 2025, in part because of hiring and training efforts, though crewing shortages tied to the pandemic have not disappeared.

Coupeville riders will not be insulated from the construction season, either. The Coupeville terminal’s vehicle transfer span is getting painting and resurfacing now, with more mechanical and electrical repairs planned next year and closures scheduled for March 23-24, 2027. WSDOT says it spends about $3 million a year on short-term terminal repairs, and IMCO Construction says systemwide renewal work at Anacortes, Coupeville, Lopez Island and Orcas Island is expected to begin in June 2026 and finish by March 2027.