wsdot-mcp-server

Get Ferry Alerts

wsdot_get_ferry_alerts

Read-only

Returns active WSF ferry service disruptions, delays, and bulletins. Each alert carries a one-line summary plus the bulletin title, kind, and full body — the body is where detail such as a replacement sailing appears. Each alert includes impacted route IDs — cross-reference with wsdot_get_ferry_routes to resolve route IDs to human-readable route names. Some IDs (seasonal, San Juan interisland, or international Sidney B.C. routes) may not appear in wsdot_get_ferry_routes for a given date.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`alerts`	No	Active ferry service alerts and disruptions.
`notice`	No	Optional notice when no alerts are active. Absent when alerts are present.
`totalCount`	No	Total number of active alerts.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "alerts",
+      "totalCount"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `api_unavailable`: WSF Ferry API is unreachable or returns a non-2xx response after retries. `invalid_access_code`: WSF rejected the request because WSDOT_ACCESS_CODE is missing, invalid, or not registered. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "api_unavailable",
+            "invalid_access_code"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "alerts",
-  "totalCount"
-]

Changed6 schema fields changedJul 31, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / alerts / items / properties / affectsAllRoutes

Added value: +{
+  "description": "True when the alert applies fleet-wide. A fleet-wide alert need not enumerate routes, so while this is true an empty impactedRouteIds means every route rather than none.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / alerts / items / properties / alertDescription / description

Previous value: -"Description of the alert or disruption."New value: +"One-line summary of the alert or disruption, as shown on the route pages. Falls back to the title when upstream publishes no summary."

addedOutput schema / properties / alerts / items / properties / alertTitle

Added value: +{
+  "description": "The bulletin's own title.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / alerts / items / properties / alertType

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Alert kind as WSF categorizes it, e.g. \"All Alerts\".",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / alerts / items / properties / bulletinText

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Full bulletin body as plain text, normalized from the upstream HTML — links are rendered inline as \"link text (url)\". Detail that appears nowhere else, such as a replacement sailing, lives here.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / alerts / items / properties / impactedRouteIds / description

Previous value: -"Route IDs affected by this alert. Cross-reference with wsdot_get_ferry_routes to get route names; some seasonal or interisland route IDs may not be listed there for a given date."New value: +"Route IDs affected by this alert. Cross-reference with wsdot_get_ferry_routes to get route names; some seasonal or interisland route IDs may not be listed there for a given date. Empty means no specific routes unless affectsAllRoutes is true, which makes it fleet-wide."

Changed1 schema field changedJun 9, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / alerts / items / properties / impactedRouteIds / description

Previous value: -"Route IDs affected by this alert. Cross-reference with wsdot_get_ferry_routes to get route names."New value: +"Route IDs affected by this alert. Cross-reference with wsdot_get_ferry_routes to get route names; some seasonal or interisland route IDs may not be listed there for a given date."

Changed1 schema field changedMay 30, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / notice

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional notice when no alerts are active. Absent when alerts are present.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

First observedMay 25, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already provide readOnlyHint: true, so the description correctly avoids repeating that. It adds meaningful behavioral context by explaining the structure of each alert, the presence of route IDs, and the caveat about missing routes. This is more than the annotation provides and helps the agent interpret results. No contradiction with annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is concise and well-structured. It front-loads the core purpose, then gives a brief overview of content, and finally provides cross-referencing guidance. Every sentence adds value without redundancy. It is appropriately sized for the tool's simplicity.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool has no parameters and an output schema (though not shown), the description fully explains what the agent can expect: each alert's structure and how to resolve route IDs. The caveat about missing routes is a useful edge case. All necessary information for calling and interpreting results is present.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The tool has zero parameters, so the schema is trivially complete. The description doesn't need to explain parameters. Baseline is 4, and the description adds no irrelevant parameter information, so a 4 is appropriate.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states it returns active WSF ferry service disruptions, delays, and bulletins. It specifies the verb 'Returns', the resource 'WSF ferry service disruptions', and includes details about the alert content (summary, title, kind, body). This distinguishes it from siblings like wsdot_get_ferry_routes and wsdot_get_ferry_schedule.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description gives clear context on when to use this tool (for alerts/disruptions) and provides an important cross-referencing instruction with wsdot_get_ferry_routes. It also notes a caveat about route IDs not appearing. While it doesn't explicitly state when NOT to use it, it implies that this is the go-to for disruptions. The guidance is sufficient for an agent to select it appropriately.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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