Travelers on the Guemes Island Ferry will see a significant fare hike starting at the end of February, after Skagit County determined the fare box was not achieving its target revenues to cover its share of operating expenses.
After two public hearings in September and December 2024, the Skagit Board of County Commissioners voted on Jan. 27 to establish the 2025 ferry fare schedule, which will go into effect starting Feb. 26 through Dec. 31.
The fare percentage increases vary widely. A single adult passenger ride during the peak season (May 20 through Sept. 30) will go from $5.50 to $6.75, while a single vehicle trip during peak season will go from $16.75 to $21. Residents who generally buy multi-trip punch cards will also see big rate hikes: a 25-trip pedestrian pass went from $84.50 to $153.75 in peak season, while a 20-trip vehicle pass increased from $221.50 to $386 in peak season.
Public works director Grace Kane explained the balance of expenditures between the road fund and the ferry fare box was “not just a financial problem but an equity issue,” noting the need for road funding elsewhere in the community.
The fare box, which is currently covering around 45% of ferry operating expenses, is supposed to cover 65% by 2028. Road funds collected from all Skagit County property owners cover the deficit between expenditures and fare revenue. In 2023, $1.7 million from the road fund subsidized ferry operations. In 2025, the road fund subsidy is expected to be between $2.5 and $3.2 million.
Guemes Island had an estimated population of 620 residents as of 2023. That year, the ferry transported around 193,000 vehicles and 390,000 passengers on the eight-minute ride between the island and Anacortes.
Many island residents and people who do business there have spoken out against the fare increases, calling them unfair, unprecedented and “remarkably accelerated,” as islander Stephen Orsini put it on Jan. 27.
Commissioner Lisa Janicki, after voting to approve the new fee schedule, thanked the islanders for weighing in and said, “We need a more dramatic and hopefully soon-to-be-determined path for the long-range health of this ferry system.”
More information on the Guemes Island Ferry can be found on the Skagit County website.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
