Problems Loading Southworth Ferry

Last updated 1/16/2026

Dear Council Members,

Drop off and pick up procedures and problems with signage that were observed in Fall 2025 contributed to people missing the Ferry to Southworth. Although the ferry dock is owned by Washington State, the Park and Ride just to the south of the dock is owned by King County. Maintenance of the upper and lower Park and Ride lots and road signage on 103^rd Ave SW and Vashon Highway SW is the responsibility of King County Roads Services Division.

We have received an update from King County regarding their review of the request for improvements, please see below.

Response:

January 16, 2026

Dear Laura Cerven,

Thank you for your patience while King County Road Services Division conducted an extensive review of your concerns about the Southworth-bound ferry line and passenger drop-off/pick-up on 103^rd Avenue SW. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

All ferry signing on Vashon Highway SW directs motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles traveling to the Southworth ferry as well as passenger drop-off and pick-up traffic to use 103^rd Avenue SW. You identify the issue of drop-off/pick-up vehicles blocking Southworth-bound drivers from accessing the ferry dock without driving into the opposing lane if there are drop-off and pick-up vehicles in front of them. It is encouraging to hear that the ferry workers assist in directing Southworth-bound traffic around vehicles waiting for drop-off or pick-up.

The county takes seriously the experience you described of having crashes occur on 103^rd Avenue SW. King County receives reports of each collision that occurs in its jurisdiction. For the last five years, there has been one reported collision on 103^rd Avenue SW from SW 112^th Street north to Vashon Highway SW, involving brake failure as a driver approached the intersection of Vashon Highway SW. Reported collisions provide the background we use in our analysis to determine needed safety treatments. Crashes should be reported to the King County Sheriff’s Office, even if reported after the fact.

We will change the recommended passenger drop-off/pick-up location to the Park and Ride lot. There is an existing sign on SW 112^th Street, just west of the intersection with Vashon Highway SW that shows an arrow pointing west; an image of a ferry, bicycle, and motorcycle; and wording that says ‘Drop Off/Pick Up’. We will install one of these signs prior to the Park and Ride lot directing drop-off/pick-up traffic into the Park and Ride lot to wait for or drop off ferry riders. We will have our communications team send a message to the Vashon-Maury Community Council and place a notice in the Beachcomber newspaper, to notify ferry users of the change. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we will install the sign in six to eight weeks.

Thank you again for sharing your concerns. Please feel free to report any other unincorporated King County Road issues to our 24/7 Road Helpline at 206-477-8100 or toll-free at 800-527-6237. For non-urgent matters, you may also email requests to maint.roads@kingcounty.gov.

Regards,

Wally Archuleta, P.E., County Traffic Engineer  |  Road Services Division, King County Department of Local Services

Request:

In follow-up to complaints about Southworth ferry loading expressed at the October 2025 Vashon-Maury Community Council meeting, the following correspondence was sent to King County staff, requesting improvements.

October 30, 2025

Hello, Bong Sto Domingo, King County Road and Signage Maintenance crews, Mike Dawson, JC Graham, Vashon Community Council members, and Jessica Anakar,

This email is being sent as a follow-up to concerns I expressed at the Vashon Maury Community Council meeting on Thursday, October 16th, at the Land Trust building on Vashon Island.

At that meeting, I recounted my experience waiting to board the Vashon to Southworth 12:00 noon ferry on Sunday, September 21st:

There were 9 vehicles waiting in line on 103rd Ave SW. By asking the drivers in each vehicle, I learned that 5 were waiting to pick up passengers, 2 were bound for West Seattle (!) and the last 2 of us were headed to Southworth. Ferries are not always on time; we could not see the Southworth lane nor the green light on the dock; none of the 7 vehicles in front of us moved; the last 2 of us missed the noon ferry.

Southworth bound traffic does not know when to drive onto the dock in these situations because the lane and green light on the dock are not visible from 103rd Ave SW. People waiting to pick up passengers block access to the dock. I have no idea why people bound for West Seattle were there. 

People bound for Southworth do not know which vehicles are waiting to pick up or are Southworth bound. In any event, it is unsafe for Southworth bound traffic to go around vehicles parked in front of them by driving down to the dock in the oncoming traffic lane on 103rd.

I have learned that there have been multiple accidents as vehicles come down the hill on 103rd Ave SW because there are so many vehicles waiting in line that collisions occur as moving vehicles come around the last curve near the entrance to the commuter parking lot and collide with waiting vehicles.

Drop off/pick up traffic and Southworth bound traffic should be separate.

Laura Cerven

This view of drop off and pick up sign on 103^rd Ave SW shows that people are expected to use the Park and Ride parking lot for dropping off and picking up people, but many people park on 103^rd Ave SW instead of using the parking lot, maybe because there are rarely parking places available in the lower parking lot, and more walking distance is required for those being dropped off or picked up.

People waiting to board the Southworth ferry, also parked on 103^rd Ave SW cannot see the Southworth lane or green light on the ferry dock when there are drop off and pick up vehicles also parked on 103^rd Ave SW, which leads to Southworth bound traffic not knowing how much space is available in the Southworth ferry dock lane and when to drive onto the ferry. 

There is a knocked down traffic control post at 103rd Ave SW intersection with Vashon Hwy SW. Service request #81059 has been assigned and dispatched to the signs and markings team for repair investigation.

Service request #81060 has been assigned and dispatched to the signs and markings team for repair investigation of missing (probably knocked down) traffic control posts on Vashon Hwy SW.

This is a damaged sign with paint markings on it in the lower commuter parking lot. Service request #81057 has been assigned and dispatched to a sign technician for repair.

This is a damaged sign with paint markings on it in the upper commuter parking lot. Service request #81058 has been assigned and dispatched to a sign technician for repair.