The price of a ferry ride is set to go up 4.25% — or around 40 cents on the state's busiest routes — in October and then again in the same month the following year, a step state transportation officials say is necessary to cover the full cost of running the boats.
The increase, approved Thursday by the Washington State Transportation Commission, is to cover a projected $28 million gap in operating expenses over the next two years. The state Legislature budgeted $725 million for operations in 2024 and 2025, assuming $419 million of that would come from fares. Lawmakers made increasing fares by 4% a part of their budget calculations for funding ferry operations.
The commission opted instead to go with the 4.25% increase, while simultaneously further discounting tickets purchased in bulk, an approach that may favor frequent riders. In the first year, a single ride passenger ticket from Seattle to Bainbridge Island during the summer will rise from $9.45 to $9.85; the price of a car and driver would go from $16.80 to $17.50.
Commissioners acknowledged the hikes come amid rider frustration with service and reliability. Crew shortages and aging boats have hurt performance, a sentiment clearly expressed in recent surveys.
"This isn't a vote that we relish today," Commissioner Debbie Young said.
The price increase is the first since a 2.5% bump in 2021. But the commission may revisit the 4.25% number as soon as next year. Ridership is projected to continue growing from its pandemic depths, but at a slower pace than forecast by the Legislature. The result could be a roughly $9 million gap over two years, even with the higher fares.
The commission and Washington State Ferries said they would monitor ridership and revisit the budget in the 2024 legislative session. People took 17.4 million trips last year. So far this year, ridership is 77% of pre-pandemic levels.
The commission came to its vote after a lengthy engagement process that included meetings with and surveys of riders. It considered three options for raising fares. One was a 4% increase without any additional bulk discount. The second would have raised vehicle fares by 4.5% and passenger fares by 3.5%. A poll of riders found most favored the final option of 4.25%, with the added 1 percentage point bulk discount, for both passengers and vehicles.
It was theoretically possible for the commission to reject any fare increase, but staff said it's long been an "unspoken agreement" that the body moves forward with what the ferry system and the Legislature say is needed. Forgoing an increase could have led to more service reductions, commissioners said.
Among riders surveyed, most identified as weekly or monthly riders. Half use the system for personal use and 21% for commuting to work.
Many expressed their frustration with the system's reliability, urging the commission to focus on restoring service before increasing fares. The ferry system hopes to have all routes back to normal service in 2024, but crew shortages and the aging fleet means the recovery is fragile.
Commissioners acknowledged the challenges.
"Hopefully this is a point where we're turning a corner," Young said.
