The proposal to empower local governments across Puget Sound to set up their own passenger ferry districts fell short in the Senate after passing the House last year. Its sponsor is pushing even harder this year, seeking to bolster the precarious state ferry system.
Fast ferry runs will continue between Seattle and Bremerton on Saturdays from May to September, but will no longer be maintained through the off-season after a reduction in state support.
Kitsap Transit is planning a new fast ferry terminal on the Seattle waterfront and eyeing three potential sites, with Pier 48 the clear frontrunner. Through August 11, the agency is accepting comments to guide its study.
King County will continue offering 10 daily round trips on weekdays between Vashon and Downtown Seattle through 2027. Meanwhile, service levels on the Bremerton fast ferry are still being negotiated.
The Washington House and Senate aren’t in alignment on whether funding for extra passenger ferry trips should continue. Dozens of weekly trips across the King County Water Taxi and Kitsap Fast Ferry would be slashed if the state Senate’s version of the transportation budget prevails.
House Bill 1923, approved by an 87-8 vote by the Washington House of Representatives, would allow more local governments to set up passenger ferry districts to serve riders. It heads to the state Senate.
With an eye toward adding new passenger ferry service by 2026, HB 1923 would expand the number of transit agencies able to operate foot ferries, and also set up a new state grant to fund them.
Washington State’s transportation chief Roger Millar is out after eight years, as Governor-elect Bob Ferguson prepares to take office. Widely recognized as a leader in progressive transportation policy, Millar will be tough to replace.
A perfect storm of factors is creating a drag on walk-on ridership on Washington State Ferries. Reasons include service reductions, fast ferries poaching riders, and the trend toward working from home.
$3.1 million for additional water taxi runs between Downtown Seattle and Vashon Island is set to be allocated by the legislature to make up for lost state ferry service to Fauntleroy.
Late Friday afternoon, walk-on passengers heading to and from Colman Dock on Seattle’s waterfront were able to use a brand new pedestrian bridge directly connecting the terminal with First Avenue over Alaskan Way, a final element in the $489 million overhaul of the city’s flagship Washington State Ferries
King County Metro’s passenger-only ferry between West Seattle and Colman Dock at Pier 50 will mostly see summer sailing service maintained year-round. That means midday and weekend sailings will continue as part of the winter service changes starting October 16. “We are excited to maintain a service that many
There are three very important things you need to know about taking the Alaska ferry from Bellingham, Washington to Juneau, Alaska. First, the trip is one of the most serene transits through a stunningly beautiful landscape that it is possible to take. Second, this is a boat operated by the
This weekend, Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront quietly opened a stretch of rocky beach in Pioneer Square, just south of Colman Dock. The small parcel of waterfront, which has been sitting behind a fence for more than two years so that the plants could fully develop in the space,
On a quiet weekday in November, daily passengers at the Washington State Ferries’ Colman Dock stopped using a makeshift terminal to board ferries to Bremerton and Bainbridge Island and instead boarded from a brand new 20,000 square foot terminal, an effort years in the making. The new building, which
This Transpo Notes roundup touches on a mix of transit stories, including: * New Sounder cars arrive; * $30 million in federal bus grants for Washington transit agencies; * A pilot passenger-only ferry launches service; * Staffing levels at local transit agencies still down; * Update on Link real-time arrival signs; and * New bike rooms
This week’s Transpo Notes roundup touches on Seattle Monorail fare increases, a new Eastrail bridge, transit funding car lanes in Kirkland, new U District bus lanes, updates to Sound Transit Title VI policies, Washington State Ferries restoring service, and Kitsap Transit planning a new ferry landing site in Seattle.
This week’s Transpo Notes roundup covers recommended federal funding that could accelerate Sound Transit 3 (ST3) projects, the King County Water Taxi’s summer sailing schedule, King County Metro’s launch of new battery-electric buses, the new Tacoma Link streetcar, and revised on-street paid parking rates in Seattle. Recommended
This week’s Transpo Notes highlights include: repeal of King County’s bike helmet law, return of cross-border Amtrak Cascades train service, preliminary report of King County Water Taxi expansion, Colman Dock construction progress, and Tacoma Link project woes. King County bike helmet law repealed On Thursday, the King County
This week’s Transpo Notes highlights include: SEA’s new International Arrivals Facility, an advancing ST4 bill, a report on the post-Apple Cup Link meltdown, new Port Townsend-Kingston express bus, Kitsap Transit’s electric fast ferry, and Pierce Transit seeks feedback on its bus rapid transit network. SEA’s International
This week’s Traspo Notes highlights: hearing on an additive Sound Transit funding bill, cats and dogs can ride the King County Water Taxi, the state transportation department has a new mobility plan, Seattle café streets are poised for an extension, and Via to Transit expands in Renton. Additive Sound
Transit operator shortages continue to hit agencies across the region and nation. Kitsap Transit is yet another provider that will be partially reducing service because of pandemic-induced staffing challenges. Service reductions will hit four commuter routes, so the agency is advising that riders use alternative services, where available. However, Kitsap
The overhaul of the Seattle Waterfront, while not exactly close to completely wrapping up, is starting to take shape before our eyes. With work crews having completed one-half of the southern portion of the new Alaskan Way highway, which will be nine lanes south of Columbia Street, stopping by the
Puget Sound transit agencies have announced an end of pandemic-era capacity limits on buses, trains, and ferries. In a joint notice, the agencies said that regular capacity will return as soon as July 1st for most and July 3rd for others as ridership has started to rebound in earnest and
Fare hikes are on the way for state ferry riders. Prices could rise 2.5% in October of this year and then be followed by another 2.5% increase in October 2022 under an alternative preferred by the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC). State transportation officials need to fill a
Dave Amos visited Seattle very recently and rode seven kinds of transit in Seattle. He wanted to see how long it would take to get a taste of each type. Amos talks about his journey and a bit of local transit history, plans, and facts — though forgive him for some
The transit service changes are coming. The first round of changes roll out on the weekend of March 20th with some additions to King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, and Intercity Transit. Metro plans to suspend nearly a dozen routes. Sound Transit also plans to implement reduced fares for
It was a given that the pandemic would depress ferry ridership, but Washington State Ferries (WSF) has reported an astonishing 41% ridership decline in 2020–the lowest ridership since 1975. Almost 10 million fewer riders took the state ferries in 2020 than they did in 2019, meaning that only 13,
On Tuesday, Washington House Democrats revealed an ambitious transportation package exceeding dueling senate proposals by more than $10 billion. The 16-year package would raise $26 billion, with $8 billion set aside for carbon reduction projects–$17 billion, meanwhile, is in a highway-related category. The bill relies primarily on increases to
Before the Puget Sound Regional Council shared their draft passenger only ferry study in December, King County Metro had submitted a report on implementation of a Kenmore water taxi this past July. PSRC’s study identified a Kenmore-University of Washington route as one of the more cost-effective passenger ferry routes
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) has analyzed seven passenger-only ferry routes and issued results this month. Two Lake Washington routes–Kirkland to the University of Washington (UW) and Kenmore to UW–rose to the top, showing significant time savings and ridership potential with relatively low operating cost expected. Commissioned
Fares are coming back to King County Metro buses in October. The agency has been busy putting September service changes into effect and rolling out new onboard Covid-safety features. To lower transmission risk, Metro is not doing fare enforcement for the remainder of the year. Metro also has indicated programmatic
Eight passenger-only ferry routes across Puget Sound have made the cut for inclusion in a detailed study by the Puget Sound Regional Council. The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) has released a shortlist of eight passenger-only ferry routes to be studied in detail this fall. The eight routes would serve
The passenger-only ferry (POF) system is set to grow in Puget Sound with the introduction of new service between Southworth and Seattle, making it the sixth POF in the Central Puget Sound Region, but could more destinations be on the horizon? The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is exploring that
Washington State Ferries (WSF) saw ridership fall in 2019 after reaching a 16-year high the year prior. Ridership dropped an astounding 3.2% or 802,249 rides to 23,884,789, nearly wiping out two years of gains. WSF blamed the ridership decline on wintery weather last year. Ridership was
Could the Mosquito Fleet return to Lake Washington and spread to new locations on the eastern side of Puget Sound? King County Metro is asking that question as it evaluates new King County Water Taxi routes between Ballard and Downtown Seattle and Kenmore to Seattle. The evaluation process comes just
A new passenger-only fast ferry route is poised to begin service from Southworth next year. The service would operate on weekdays between Southworth and Seattle with six daily sailings each way. During the summer sailing season, service would be expanded to include Saturdays. Over the weekend, staff from Kitsap Transit
Passenger-only ferry ridership is growing in Puget Sound, according to recent data from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). Both King County Metro’s and Kitsap Transit’s ferry routes have seen large winter and spring ridership gains in the past year, the data indicates. Ridership grew by 24% year-over-year
The Washington State Transportation Commission is seeking feedback on fare changes across the Washington State Ferries system. The proposal seeks to increase fares across the board by 5% for vehicles and 4% for passengers in the next year and impose new capital surcharges. It could also involve a low-income fare
On Sunday, the Washington State Legislature concluded the 2019 legislative session. Many progressive environmental, transportation, land use, and housing bills managed to win approval and will become law. In our first installment to cover the legislative session wrap up, we provided an overview of key transportation bills that passed and
In a few weeks, Kitsap Transit will improve their fast ferry and foot ferry services on Saturdays. King County Water Taxi has already gone to their summer schedule as part of the March service change. And Intercity Transit flew under the radar beefing up Sunday service immensely. Kitsap Transit service
On Thursday, the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee passed its version (Senate Bill 5214) of a two-year statewide transportation funding appropriations bill. The bill includes several major line items for transportation studies and high-speed rail project development. The high-speed rail corridor currently being studied would be designed for speeds of
In the latest transportation budget proposal, Washington House Democrats have kept some funding to lay the groundwork for an interstate high-speed rail corridor authority. Eventually corridor authority would be established to plan and implement high-speed rail between Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland via Seattle and several other intermediate cities. The
Washington State Ferries (WSF) had another gangbuster ridership year in 2018. Ferries saw their highest ridership since 2002, which plunged after that year due to service cuts as part of the fallout from Tim Eyman’s $30 car tab campaign. Fortunately, the ferry system has shored up, seeing buoying ridership
On Thursday, Washington State Ferries (WSF) released their long-range plan for the state ferry network through 2040. The plan charts a course on vessel acquisition and upgrades, ferry terminal improvements, and increased service levels by route. Nearly all routes in the ferry system are expected to received some level of
On Thursday, officials from the City of Seattle, Washington State Department of Transportation, and King County Metro held a joint press conference to discuss upcoming traffic impact responses that agencies will make in the wake of imminent closure of the SR-99 viaduct and long-term mega-construction projects happening in Downtown Seattle
Washington State Ferries (WSF) is developing a strategic long-range plan that will span the next two decades. Growth in the ferry system continues to be robust, especially as communities east and west of Puget Sound boom. WSF is projecting 30% growth in ridership by 2040. Walk-on ridership is poised to
Washington State Ferries, the nation’s largest ferry system, reports a ninth straight year of ridership growth. Passenger counts topped 24,460,045 in 2017, up more than 255,000 (+1.0%) year-over-year. Walk-ons saw particular growth with a 2% increase year-over-year to 7,177,062. In absolute terms, the
Washington State legislators went back to work on Monday, kicking off a 60-day legislative session. The legislative session is shorter than last year’s since odd-numbered years are expected to have legislative work completed quicker. Democrats now hold both the upper and lower chambers of the Washington State Legislature after
Seattle’s Colman Ferry Dock is under heavy reconstruction to fully overhaul the ferry terminal for the first time in decades with new buildings–including a new terminal and entry building–and improved operations through site redesign. The reconstruction work will help the ferry terminal better interface with Alaskan Way