Starting this week, construction work to replace the old Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal walkway will cause some changes to how biking on the ferry works. The biggest change is that folks may need to wait in lane 6 rather than the covered area near the ferry ramp.

The new elevated walkway will pass right over the previous bike waiting area, so there will be construction activity there for a while. Later this year during the off-season, there will be some significant closures for a couple weeks including a week with limited walk-on-only service. You can sign up for the project newsletter to stay up to date on changes going forward.

From Washington State Ferries:

Construction work brings changes for pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles

Construction crews are onsite at the Bainbridge Island terminal to replace the overhead walkway leading to the ferry. That means changes for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, along with intermittent lane reductions. The first lane reduction will happen the week of July 11 as crews remove part of the barrier between the exit lanes and lane 1.

Pedestrians
The pedestrian ramp and stairs leading to the current overhead loading structure will be closed starting July 18 to create a construction work zone. All pedestrians must use the enclosed overhead walkway to board and exit the ferry throughout construction. The green line above shows the pedestrian route, which is a change for many.

Bicycles
All cyclists must use the designated bike lane (above in blue) to access and board the ferry. Bikes will stage and board from lane 6. The area below the terminal building where the bike rack was located will be closed on July 11. That bike rack has been moved to the eastern part of the parking lot near the motorcycle parking.