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Ferry riders see more changes at Colman Dock

SEATTLE — Ferry riders will notice more changes starting Tuesday as part of the renovation at Colman Dock.

Riders will now get on the ferry in a different place.

The changes are in preparation for the partial demolition of the terminal.

To do that there will be a newly configured waiting area.

As soon as you walk into the ferry terminal, one of the first new things you'll see is that the ticket counter is now much closer to the main entrance.

All walk-on passengers are also now using one waiting area for both the Bainbridge Island and Bremerton ferries on the south side of the building.

"I am just interested to see when there's a lot of people how crowded it's going to be," said ferry rider Callista Behm.

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Ferry officials say they expect to see longer lines with the smaller ticket counter and are advising passengers to arrive 15 minutes before their sailings.

The first phase of the demolition inside the terminal will begin in about two weeks, so the seating areas  will be gone and crews will be putting up a wall to separate the construction from passenger traffic.

The new configuration inside the terminal will stay in place until the middle of next year. The entire project is set to be completed by 2023.

Outside the terminal another big change happens later this summer when the entrance for people driving their cars onto the ferry moves six blocks south to Jackson Street.

But passenger load zones in front of the terminal - along with pedestrian and bike access routes - will remain where they are for now.