— from Reema Griffith, Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) Executive Director —
Ferry customers and anyone with an interest in Washington State Ferry fares are being asked to weigh in on a new fare proposal that would take effect starting this October.
The Washington State Transportation Commission has released its proposal to increase ferry fares over the next two years. The proposed increase must generate $381 million in operating revenue between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2019, as required in the recently passed two-year state transportation budget for Washington State Ferry operations.
The commission’s proposal includes two ferry fare increases over the next two years. The commission proposed these increases after considering input from Washington State Ferries and the Ferry Advisory Committee on Tariffs. A summary of the ferry fare proposal is as follows:
October 1, 2017
- 2.9 percent fare increase for small and standard sized vehicles
- 0.8 percent to 1.8 percent fare increase for oversized vehicles (22 feet and longer), depending on vehicle size
- 2.5 percent fare increase for passengers
- Passengers who bring bicycles with trailers will see an increase as they begin paying the motorcycle/driver (stowage) rate instead of the combined passenger fare with bicycle surcharge
October 1, 2018
- 2.5 percent fare increase for small and standard sized vehicles
- No fare increase for oversized vehicles (22 feet and longer)
- 2.1 percent fare increase for passengers
- School Group passengers fare will increase from $1 per group for a one-way trip to $5 per group for a one-way trip
The commission will be holding four in-person public input meetings. No action will be taken at these meetings. Details are below:
- Bainbridge Island: 6 – 8 p.m. Thursday, July 6, Waterfront Park Community Center (Senior Center) Huney Hall, 370 Brien Drive SE
- Friday Harbor: 6 – 8 p.m. Monday, July 10, San Juan County Administrative Office Building, Legislative Hearing Room, 55 Second Street
- Whidbey Island: 6 – 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, Whidbey Telecom Community Media Conference Center, 1651 Main Street (Freeland)
- Vashon Island: 6 – 8 p.m. Monday, July 17, Vashon Island High School Cafeteria, 9600 SW 204th Street
The commission will hold its final hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 26, at the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Board Room, 1011 Western Ave., Suite 500, Seattle. The commission is expected to take action and vote on the final fare and policy changes at this hearing.
In addition to the public meetings listed above, other ways people can comment on the ferry fare proposal are as follows:
- Email: transc@wstc.wa.gov. Please indicate “Ferry Fares” in the subject line.
- Website: Submit comments utilizing the online comment form on the commission’s website, under “contact us”: https://wstc.wa.gov/ContactUs/feedback.htm
- In Writing:
Washington State Transportation Commission
P.O. Box 47308
Olympia, WA 98504-7308 - Phone: 360-705-7070
For more information on the ferry fare proposal, please visit the transportation commission’s web site: www.wstc.wa.gov
I am interested to know why the over-sized don’t have as much of an increase.
As a driver of an oversize vehicle I can say that the price I pay now is VERY high. My rig is 42′ long but I have to pay the 50′ cost. I like to show my horses at horse shows – however the ferry price I have to pay makes it out of my reach most of the time. Last year I went to one horse show. I also drive a school bus and it is costly for us to take the students off island for their sports or field trips.
I agree with Jodi on both her statements.
One of the single largest costs to athletic programs in the islands is the cost of transportation. It would be great to see WSF work cooperatively with the schools to reduce costs for school busses crossing on the ferries. It is understandable that they do take up more space, but in the SJI runs they are often traveling at non-peak times with low ridership. Is there not a way to accommodate off-peak pricing in order to support the schools?
Similarly, it would be nice to see some kind of concession for those of us that regularly travel with over-sized vehicles that would allow us to save a couple bucks by targeting non-peak sailings. I, for one, would alter my schedule and get my over-length vehicles on non-peak sailings if I knew I could do so at a discount.
It would be interesting to review the rate increases over the past five or so years, particularly with respect to inflation.
Too, during the eight years that I was on the State Tariff Policy Committee, we stressed that all traffic had to pay a proportionate fare based of the space used on the car-deck. Over height vehicles paid a 50% surcharge because they can’t, of course, fit in the wings. Given the high cost of oversize vehicles, I could support a tariff proposal that charged “per foot” for any unit over 30 feet.
Justin raises an interesting point about “off-peak” discounts.