Submitted by The Washington State Transportation Commission
The Washington State Transportation Commission held its final hearing today, Tuesday, Aug. 6, in Seattle and adopted increases to current ferry fares that will take effect Oct. 1, 2019, and May 1, 2020. The fares were set to ensure that $407 million in revenue is generated between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021, as required in the recently passed two-year state transportation budget.
A summary of the ferry fare and policy changes coming this fall and next spring:
Oct. 1, 2019
2.5 percent fare increase for vehicles
An additional 5 percent fare increase for oversize vehicles on the Anacortes/ Sidney, B.C., route
2 percent fare increase for passengers
Reservation no-show fee will be increased up to 100 percent of the one-way fare paid, based on a standard-sized vehicle
The time in which transfers can be made on the San Juan Islands Interisland ferry is valid through the end of the service day it was issued
May 1, 2020
2.5 percent fare increase for vehicles
An additional 5 percent fare increase for oversize vehicles on the Anacortes/ Sidney, B.C., route
2 percent fare increase for passengers
A 25-cent increase for the capital surcharge, dedicated to the construction of a new vessel
The commission also authorized Washington State Ferries to pursue two different pilot programs to test changes to fares and fare collection methods:
• Low Income Fare Pilot: Starting no earlier than 2020 and contingent on receiving funding from the State Legislature and approval from the commission, this pilot would test a special passenger fare for low-income customers. If implemented, the pilot would run for no more than three years.
• “Good to Go!” Pilot: This pilot would test the use of the “Good to Go!” system currently used to collect tolls on highways and bridges, to also collect ferry fares. Special fares might be established as part of this pilot, with approval from the commission. If implemented, the pilot would run for up to three years.
For more information on transportation commission or its ferry fare proposal, please visit the commission’s web site at: www.wstc.wa.gov.
