Puget Sound Ferry Fares To Increase State Commission Clamps Down On No-Shows, Requires Deposits

Washington state ferry riders will start paying higher fares May 10 as state officials look for ways to prop up the sagging ferry budget.

In boosting the fares Wednesday, the state Transportation Commission also settled on a diminished level of service between Anacortes and Sidney, British Columbia, but agreed to extend a three-year guarantee of service to four years.

The panel also decided to clamp down on no-shows.

For most walk-on travelers crossing Puget Sound, fares will increase from $3.50 to $3.60 for a round trip. The cost of 20-ticket books will rise from $21 to $23.50, the commission decided.

There also will be a 20 percent to 25 percent increase in peak-season surcharges.

Passengers traveling between Anacortes and Sidney will pay $8.90 for a round-trip ticket, a $2 increase.

In raising fares, the commission noted that the last general fare increase was in 1994, when fares were raised 6 percent. The panel also said fares have not kept up with inflation since the mid-1980s.

Not raising fares would have resulted in an operating budget shortfall of $2.2 million in the fiscal year beginning July 1 and in $9 million in red ink the following fiscal year, the commission said.

The panel also agreed to require people who want to reserve space on the Anacortes-Sidney or San Juans Islands-Sidney runs to guarantee their reservations with a credit-card deposit.

During peak summer runs, the required deposit will be $30 for Anacortes-Sidney travelers and $15 for San Juans-Sidney travelers. During off-peak months, the deposit will be $15 and $7, respectively.

The deposits, minus the cost of the fare, will be refunded if the travelers show up.

The new reservation policy will take effect June 21.

The commission also reinforced its decision to continue the struggling ferry run between Anacortes and Sidney by extending its earlier pledge to guarantee service for four years.

But the panel decided to reduce summer-service capacity on that run. The only vessel available is the Evergreen State, which can carry 100 vehicles. That means there will be 400 spaces available daily, down from 520 spaces in previous years when a larger vessel was used.