WSF plans fix for bottleneck at dock

The “T” intersection where the Fauntleroy ferry dock and Fauntleroy Way Southwest meet has been a big bottleneck for decades.

A uniformed off-duty police officer directs traffic there sometimes when vehicles driving off ferries come streaming down the dock. But when that officer isn’t present, each unloading vehicle must stop at the intersection, then wait for a gap in traffic to turn left toward the West Seattle Bridge, or right toward White Center and SeaTac.

So traffic often backs up in the dock’s two exit lanes, sometimes all the way to the ferry. When that happens, vehicles waiting to board the boat to sail to Vashon and Southworth can’t load. Departures are delayed, schedules thrown off.

The troublesome intersection isn’t just an operational headache, Washington State Ferries says