PORT TOWNSEND — Washington State Ferries has issued a correction to its spring schedule for the Coupeville-Port Townsend ferry, but about 1 million incorrect paper schedules are still in circulation.
The incorrect schedule says the 10:40 p.m. Coupeville-Port Townsend sailing runs every night when it only runs Fridays and Saturdays.
The ferry system has issued 20,000 corrective bulletins to the Port Townsend and Coupeville terminals as well as those in Clinton, Anacortes and Edmonds.
The mistakes are included in the late spring portion of the printed schedules but are correct online, on the reservations service and on the system’s automatic voice line.
While some routes don’t change sailing times between seasons, the difference between the early spring and late spring portions on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route is considerable as two-boat service is scheduled to begin May 6.
This increases the total number of daily sailings from 20 to 36.
Customers arriving for the 10:40 p.m. sailing on a weekday will find the terminal closed, so the ferries system will post a staff member to explain the change, according to spokesman Ian Sterling.
Sterling said the mistake was attributable to “human error” and was discovered after the schedules were printed.
Reprinting all of the schedules was not an option, as it would cost around $70,000, he said, while the cost of issuing a corrective memo and staffing the terminal cost under $3,000.
“The schedules are already out there, so there is no way to put the cat back in the bag.” Sterling said.
Schedules are printed four times a year.
Sterling could not provide an average number for schedules that are returned for recycling at the end of a quarter.
Sterling said the mistake has drawn attention to the printing of paper schedules and might cause a re-examination of the process.
“A good number of our customers get schedule information online or through their mobile devices,” Sterling said.
“In the future, we may cut down on the number of schedules to keep printing costs down.”
Phone app
The Department of Transportation has published a free phone app on Apple and Android platforms that provides schedules, crossing times and a graphic that shows how many drive-up spaces are available at the terminal.
Sterling said this can be of limited use during busy days, as the count is taken from within the terminal and does not cover those outside the ticket booth.
The app also displays vehicle locations and provides access to the cameras at each terminal, as well as connects directly to the reservation system, which is active on the Coupeville-Port Townsend route.
Sterling said the corrective measures will prevent people from showing up for a sailing that doesn’t exist.
“Most people will get the word,” he said.
For more information, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.