||| FROM FIX OUR FERRIES |||
OLYMPIA, WA – A significant delegation of local elected officials and community leaders from across Washington’s ferry-served regions will converge in Olympia from February 4-6, 2025, for Fix Our Ferries Lobby Days. With ferry service disruptions continuing to cripple communities across the Puget Sound, these leaders are demanding urgent legislative action to fully restore Washington’s marine highways.
Among those attending are county commissioners and council members, Ferry Advisory Committee representatives, and business and community leaders from Vashon Island, Kitsap County, Island County, San Juan County, and Bainbridge Island.
A Unified Voice for Immediate Action
The presence of so many public officials from around the region in Olympia highlights the widespread economic and social consequences of Washington State Ferries’ ongoing operational challenges. Service reductions, vessel shortages, and staffing crises have continued to disrupt lives and businesses, delay emergency medical care, and isolate entire communities.
“This is no longer just a transportation issue—it’s an economic, public health, and infrastructure emergency,” said Amy Drayer, Director of Islanders for Ferry Action, a founding member of the Fix Our Ferries regional coalition. “Local governments are stepping up because our communities are still suffering, and we can’t afford to wait years for relief.”
Members of the delegations will meet with state legislators from multiple districts to push for the core priorities outlined in the Fix Our Ferries joint letter. The letter and priorities are co-signed by 29 regional entities, representing local agencies, governments, organizations, healthcare advocates, chambers of commerce, and elected officials from communities affected by this crisis:
- Consistent, long-term ferry construction funding – one new vessel per year to prevent further collapse of the fleet.
- Competitive, equitable wages and benefits for ferry crews to address staffing shortages and prevent cancellations that drive unreliability and service gaps.
- Greater transparency and accountability from Washington State Ferries (WSF) to ensure communities are informed and engaged in decision-making.
A Coordinated Effort by Local Governments
The Fix Our Ferries coalition has grown into a powerful regional movement, bringing together elected officials and advocacy groups from across the Puget Sound. Each community will lead targeted legislative meetings on the following days:
- Tuesday, February 4: Bainbridge Island
- Wednesday, February 5: Vashon Island, Kitsap County, Island County
- Thursday, February 6: San Juan County, Island County
These meetings will reinforce a clear and unified message: without immediate state intervention, ferry-dependent communities will continue to suffer economic losses, disruptions to essential services, and declining public health and safety.
“This isn’t just a local issue—it’s a statewide crisis,” continued Drayer. “Every delay in fixing our ferry system hurts businesses, workers, the elderly, and families across Washington.”
The broad regional participation from public officials underscores the urgent need for legislative action during the 2025 budget session. The ferry system cannot wait any longer for new vessels, more crew, and alternative solutions—change must be enacted now.
Fix Our Ferries regional coalition co-signers:
- Bremerton Ferry Coalition
- Clinton Ferry Advisory Committee
- Community Water Taxi
- Coupeville Ferry Advisory Committee
- Downtown Bremerton Association
- EDC of San Juan County
- Ferry Lovers of Washington
- Friday Harbor Town Council
- Islanders for Ferry Action
- Joshua Corsa, San Juan County EMS Medical Program Director
- Marine Engineers Beneficial Association
- Port of Bremerton
- Raymont Jackson, Mayor, Friday Harbor
- Representative Greg Nance
- San Juan Island Parks and Recreation District
- San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
- South Sound Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition, including:
- Auburn Area Connect Chamber of Commerce
- Covington Chamber of Commerce
- Kent Chamber of Commerce
- Puyallup Sumner Chamber of Commerce
- Renton Chamber of Commerce
- Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce
- Tacoma-Pierce Chamber of Commerce
- Vashon Ferry Advisory Committee
- Vashon Island Chamber of Commerce
- Vashon Island Healthcare District
- Vashon Island School District
- Vashon Be Prepared
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One of the problems that never gets mentioned, but I know of personally, is the abysmal wages being paid our local ferry terminal employees, which are some 20% lower than for equivalent Anacortes workers — when they probably should be 10-20% HIGHER due to cost-of-living differences. This has happened because of what can be called the contractual “financial vise” being applied to the Orcas Terminal Agent. And that vise, I surmise, reflects the dismal financial condition of WSF in general, which probably cannot afford to pay more. it’s not just the ferries, folks, it’s the whole WSF system.
I am wondering if people might take your message more seriously if the logo of your group had been conceived by someone who had actually seen a Washington State Ferry? They have a pretty iconic look. Double ended and all. No pointy thing on the front.
Should treat the ferries funding the same as RTA, those in affected areas pay the bill.
Don’t take the train, nor the ferry, yet I’m paying RTA tax.
Force by law, like our Governor and company forced RTA in Pierce county even after voted down, the counties that predominantly use the ferries.
Don’t straddle the many for the few. Make island counties and towns on the water pay their own way.
If people live on a island, and commute daily to another community to work, raise the price of the transportation to cover high wages and expensive equipment. To be able to live in a community like bambridge island they are blessed. Ferry rates are too reasonable in Washington state.
How will that work? Where are you going to get one ferry a year built, even if you had the money?
Keep voting DEMOCRAT no matter how bad things get. In case you haven’t noticed it is not just the ferries that are going down.
Applaud the combined effort to bring more attention to the reliability of the Washington State ferry system.
But it takes more money … lots of it … to solve the ferry systems multiple issues.
And the chance that is going to happen this biennium in the state legislature is absolutely zero.
The projected budget shortfall is BILLIONS of dollars. Future federal funding is a total unknown with the MAGA/Trump/Musk takeover of the federal government.
Most Eastern Washington legislators are not interested in increasing funding for the WSF system.
The 12 unions the are WSF “labor partners” are always got to negotiate increased wages and benefits. For those interested, the proposed labor contracts are on the Department of Revenues website, all pending what happens in this year’s legislature session.
Fare box recovery just for operational costs could be considered … they would likely have to be tripled (that’s my estimate) to pay for just for WSF operational costs.
New ferries? They are most likely yet again to exceed WSF’s cost estimates.
Bottom line is advocating for better WSF service is definitely the right action, but the funding reality is exceedingly bleak.
That’t right, Robert, it will take LOTS of money to solve the WSF problems. And I’m glad you brought up the subject of contracts, for the one I’ve seen between WSF and the Orcas Terminal Agent is downright niggardly — and getting worse every year. While the cost of living (on the mainland, that is) has risen 35.5 % in the dozen years that this contract has been in effect, the Agent’s fee has grown by only a paltry 15.3%. That’s the “financial vise” I mentioned above, which necessarily results in the abysmal wages being paid the attendants here. The cost of living on Orcas Island has grown more than 20% since the pandemic began five years ago, but the attendant wages have stagnated.
We all pay for the roads and highways throughout Washington state, through various taxes, whether we personally use them or not. The same standard needs to apply to ferry service. They are part of the state transportation network.