The Commission held a hearing on August 6, 2019 in Seattle and adopted changes to ferry fares that will be in effect from October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2021. A summary of the adopted changes are provided below:
Adopted changes to ferry fares and policies:
October 1, 2019:
- 2.5 percent fare increase for all 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 all vehicles
- An additional 5 percent fare increase for oversize vehicles on the Anacortes/ Sidney B.C. route
- 2 percent fare increase for passengers
- 25 cent increase for the capital surcharge, dedicated to the construction of new vessels
Two different pilot programs have also been authorized that will test changes to fares and fare collections:
- 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. Once implemented, the pilot will 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 may be established as part of this pilot, with approval from the Commission. Once implemented, the pilot would run for up to three years.
Detailed ferry fare tables (pdf 154 kb) can be accessed if you would like to see how the adopted changes effect the fares on the routes you use.
Go here (pdf 1.2 mb) to see the fare changes outlined above, as they appear in the administrative code.