Unified Fix Our Ferries citizen movement sets sail

Ferry-served communities band together for legislative action

||| FROM ED ANDREWS for COMMUNITY WATER TAXI |||

Vashon Island, Washington—The Fix Our Ferries citizen action movement has grown to four communities that extend the length and breadth of the Washington State Ferries system, from the San Juan Islands to Vashon Island. Representative groups from the communities have signed a get-it-done letter to the Governor and the Legislature, pressing for immediate steps to relieve the years-long ferry crisis during the 2025 budget session.

“The 2024 legislative session showed everyone that citizen action delivers results,” said Amy Drayer, Director of the Vashon-based Islanders for Ferry Action. “Our community sent hundreds of emails and phone calls to legislators and ferry system officials during the most recent budget session in Olympia, and it worked. We asked for concrete improvements to relieve the ferry crisis now while we wait for new boats and more ferry staff that will take years to arrive. Now, we’re joining with other communities struggling with the impacts of this crisis – because we know we’re stronger together.”

The initial letter to the Governor, legislators, and ferry system officials has been signed by the citizen action groups Islanders for Ferry Action (IFA) of Vashon Island, Ferry Lovers of Washington (FLOW), Community Water Taxi of the San Juan Islands, and the Bremerton Ferry Coalition.

Tom Starr of FLOW highlighted the need for solutions and the power of coalition. “The crisis in our community is far from over – it’s worsening. We are gravely concerned about crew availability. We are gravely concerned about our ferry service for the next four years until the new ferries arrive. This letter is just a first step. It’s a rallying flag that brings us all together and puts everyone on notice that we will speak and act with a unified voice in our communities and in Olympia.”

Ed Andrews of Community Water Taxi underscores the grave existential threat to our communities. “Through late June and early July, the WSF Inter Island service in San Juan County has experienced its worst performance to date, with a loss of service on 16 out of 28 days. These disruptions resulted in complete service outages on two separate days. This has led to the disintegration of our once connected island community into a series of isolated pockets.”

The Bremerton Ferry Coalition adds, “The years-long ferry crisis has impacted most ferry-served communities, Bremerton included. The WSF system lacks equity, transparency and accountability–across the Salish Sea. No one ferry community can right that wrong alone and we’re pleased to join with Fix Our Ferries to advocate for the needs of all communities served by the state’s marine highway system and for those who work hard to keep our ferries sailing.”

Fix Our Ferries is dedicated to a focused purpose: securing commitments from the Governor and the Legislature to make real, lasting investment in our marine highways. This summer, the groups will meet each month to discover shared goals and hone grassroots organizing tactics. They’ll also collaborate to recruit more communities to participate. The work all leads up to a mid-fall legislative summit, which will invite legislators representing each of the communities to work together with citizen activists to finalize realistic ferry crisis relief goals for the 2025 legislative session.