Bainbridge ferry passengers battle route restrictions

Passengers on the Seattle-to-Bainbridge Island ferry are having to make some big adjustments today.

From now until Sept. 13, wheeled vehicles, including bikes and scooters, are not allowed on the ferry, and half the sailings are canceled.

The restrictions were met with some frustration and confusion Thursday morning.

Danni Burrus-Prince commutes from Poulsbo to Seattle for work. Her usual ferry didn't run today, putting a damper on her regular schedule.

"For me it's a four-hour commute regularly, two hours in the morning and two hours at night, essentially," she said. "So, it's just a bigger inconvenience, and now, I'm just not sure when I'll be able to get to start my work day today."

Some passengers complained there wasn't adequate notice about the changes.

Angie Tabor, a musician who travels to Seattle for rehearsals and performances, said they learned about the prohibition on cars from a friend of a friend, not through an official channel.

"I have the app, and I get the notifications," Tabor said. "I didn't get any notification about that. It might have been good to just have like a, 'Hey, this is happening. Heads up in case you're traveling.'"

Other commuters who would typically roll onto the ferry — in one form or another — got creative.

Joe Edgell is a bike commuter. But today, he came equipped with an electric skateboard for the other side of his trip.

Edgell was actually part of an effort to give passengers more leeway; he's part of the Bainbridge Island bike advocacy organization Squeaky Wheels.

"The ferry system refused to let people walk their bikes onto the passenger deck," he said. "We spoke with the ferries about this, and the ferries would not budge on that matter."

In an online explanation of the restrictions, the Washington Department of Transportation addressed why passengers would not be allowed to walk their bikes on: "With higher pedestrian volumes, it is not feasible or safe for us to mix pedestrians with bicycles and scooters both inside the ferry and in the terminal waiting areas. Neither the Bainbridge Island or Colman Dock terminals or passenger walkways were designed to mix walk-on and bicycle traffic—even during short durations."

Passengers may carry on:

• electric scooters if the handles fold down
• electric skateboards
• foldable bikes