A highly skilled team of state employees has been recognized this year for its innovative work to conserve fuel and save the state of Washington more than $700,000 per year.

Crew members of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Ferries Division won the President’s Transportation Award for water transportation and were recognized for their exemplary service to save fuel on the Edmonds/Kingston ferry route. This is the second time that Washington State Ferries, a division of WSDOT, has won an award sponsored by the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials.

Beginning in 2010, three WSF employees collaborated to identify a method to save fuel on one of the largest vessels in the system, the 202-car, 2,500-passenger Puyallup, serving the Edmonds/Kingston route. They studied the effect of vessel speed on fuel consumption and suggested revised throttle settings to maximize fuel efficiency. Following a successful pilot project, WSDOT management adopted and implemented their suggestion, which is now the operating standard for the vessels on the route. These fuel conservation efforts have also helped reduce vessel exhaust emissions.

To learn more about AASHTO’s America’s Transportation Awards competition, visit news.transportation.org/press_release.aspx?Action=ViewNews&NewsID=452.