Lawmaker Seeks to Jumpstart New Passenger Ferry Routes Across Puget Sound

A bill introduced late last week by Representative Greg Nance (D-23rd, Bainbridge Island) seeks to expand the number of transit agencies in Washington providing passenger ferry service, with the goal of supplementing service on Washington State Ferries. As the state ferry system continues to struggle with staffing and boat availability issues, HB 1923 would create a new state account to fund local foot ferry service, with a goal of quickly implementing any potential changes by the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

It’s being dubbed the Mosquito Fleet Act, a reference to the armada of individually-managed foot ferries that plied Washington’s waters in the late 19th and early 20th century, serving thousands of individual ports-of-call. The state is looking to add back some of that nimbleness for riders who depend on state ferry service to access their daily needs. Meanwhile, the Washington State Ferries will reach its 75th anniversary next year, but ridership has sagged as reliability and service levels have decreased.

“Folks are frustrated with years of ferry service cuts and cancellations,” Nance said in a release touting the bill. “Getting more passenger-only boats in the water is the fastest way to show our neighbors that the legislature is making progress to fix our ferries.”

Since he was appointed to the legislature in 2023, Nance has become one of the body’s most outspoken members on the issue of improving ferry service, sponsoring a bill last year that would have established a commission looking at the long-term future of the state ferry system.

“Bolstering passenger-only ferry capacity ahead of the FIFA world cup will help to ensure its success and bridge the gap in ferry capacity before the next Washington state ferries procurement cycle puts boats in the water,” the HB 1923 text states. “This will help tourism-dependent small businesses across the state, while honoring our state’s commitment to environmental progress and helping Washingtonians travel and connect without driving.”

While Washington State Ferries touted a 97.6% service reliability rate over fiscal year 2024, the state has been unable to restore pre-pandemic service levels on a number of routes, including Seattle-Bremerton, Port Townsend-Coupeville, and Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. International service to Sidney, B.C. also remains suspended, and WSF doesn’t expect to be able to restore a second boat to the Seattle-Bremerton route until 2028 at the current pace of new vessel delivery.

With the state currently working on a comprehensive study looking at potential new passenger ferry routes in both Puget Sound and in Lake Washington, HB 1923 would set up virtually any local transit agency bordering Puget Sound to be able to quickly implement those recommendations. The full report is due June 1, and will likely include potential new routes to service the San Juan Islands, where the current on-time performance rate on existing ferries has been below 70% in recent years. Current state law only allows a few transit agencies to operate foot ferries, including Kitsap Transit and King County — with both currently operating routes that the state used to run itself before getting out of the foot ferry business three decades ago.

Whether the state will be able to fund those new routes is another question. The legislature faces significant issues this session when it comes to the transportation budget, as cost escalation threatens long-promised highway projects and gas tax revenues continue to decline, with walking, biking, and transit projects fighting for a seat at the table. Last year, the state did provide funding to add new mid-day trips on the Seattle to Vashon Island water taxi, operated by King County, adding onto state support for the popular Bremerton to Seattle fast ferry, but creating brand new routes will likely require much more state funding.

The initial funding request will be $50 million, set to be administered by Washington’s County Road Administration Board (CRAB). Three types of funding grants are being eyed, including capital grants to acquire boats and build facilities, operating grants to provide service, and feasibility and demand study grants to get new routes off the ground.

There’s almost certainly untapped potential when it comes to new routes around the state, particularly in Puget Sound. A 2021 passenger ferry study completed by the Puget Sound Regional Council whittled down a list of 45 potential routes to seven finalists, with two Lake Washington routes — both Kenmore and Kirkland to the University of Washington — rising to the top of the list in a cost-benefit analysis. But that study also identified potential terminal facilities as a big hurdle that would have to be overcome to expand the region’s passenger ferry network.

When it comes to creating options that are time-competitive compared to existing travel modes, routes like Bellingham-Friday Harbor, Whidbey-Seattle and Shilshole-Seattle showed the greatest promise in that 2021 study. In introducing HB 1923, Nance cited the potential to add routes like Clinton-Everett, Port Orchard-Bremerton, Suquamish-Ballard, as well as the places of obvious need like San Juan-Anacortes. Outside Puget Sound, places like those along the Columbia River could also take advantage of the new law.

With a goal of seeking creative solutions that will make a difference in blunting the impact of the systemic issues impacting the state ferry system, HB 1923 also sets up transit agencies in the broader Puget Sound region to be able to provide even better options than exist today. Ultimately, it could turn a crisis into an opportunity.

Where Have All the Washington State Ferries Walk-on Passengers Gone?

Legislature Proposes Boost to Passenger Ferry Service to Vashon Island