Sunshine Coast Community Workshop: What We Heard Summary

On Monday June 17, we hosted the Southern Sunshine Coast Community Workshop to gather feedback on the priorities for our ferry services. Participants included members from the Ferry Advisory Committee and the broader community. The discussion was lively and informative, and several key priorities emerged as areas of focus.

Read the verbatim comments from the evening here.

The highest-ranking priorities were:

• Near-term Service Improvements,
• Reservations and travel certainty
• and Accessibility.

Near-term Service Improvements

Participants emphasized the need to enhance on-time performance and improve service. Their comments focused on the current off-season scheduling, which has gaps of up to three hours between ferries. They requested a review and adjustment of this schedule, alongside an extension of the peak season schedule to better accommodate demand.

Reservations

Feedback on the reservation system highlighted the need for better travel certainty and the importance of communication and greater flexibility with reservation and walk-on cutoff times. Examples shared included not requiring reservation holders to show up 30 minutes prior to the scheduled sailing time when it is known the sailings are running behind. The availability of reservations is also crucial, as residents cannot always plan their trips far in advance, and many sailings are often sold out well in advance. We also heard from some participants the suggestion of removing reservations and asked for greater transparency regarding reservation data.

Accessibility

Accessibility improvements were another top priority. Participants asked for more accessible washrooms on vessels and at terminals. We heard shared ideas on enhancing the terminal experience for people with different mobility needs.

Communications During Delays and Cancellations

Participants noted that the 'Current Conditions' updates need to be more accurate and suggested that overall communication and status updates need significant improvement.

Understanding Priorities

Lastly, we also asked participants what makes an item a priority for them. Several responded that they would like to see marketing deprioritized. One participant articulated this sentiment well, stating that they want to be able to travel easily, efficiently, and at a reasonable price.

Thank you!

We would like to thank everyone who came out to our in person workshop, and the members of the Ferry Advisory Committee who joined us. If you were not able to make it, there is still an opportunity to provide your feedback through the online engagement open until July 2nd.