Ferries in Washington State

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Washington is home to a number of public and private ferry systems, most notably the state-run Washington State Ferries.

History

Due to Washington's unique topography, featuring large, deep bodies of water with many peninsulas and islands, ferries are a natural means of connecting communities in the region.

Washington State Ferries

Washington State Ferries, owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation, serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the largest fleet of passenger and automobile ferries in the United States and the third largest in the world.

Other ferries in Washington

Publicly operated

Private

Many private ferries exist to serve residents of islands throughout Puget Sound and beyond into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For example:

Passenger-only

  • From 2004 to April 2007, a private company, the Kitsap Ferry Co., provided passenger-only ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle, during weekday commute times. The service was canceled due to high costs and lack of support from Kitsap Transit, whose district voters failed to pass a sales tax increase for the foot ferry.
  • The most recent run, between Kingston and Seattle, called Aqua Express, shut down after two years of unprofitable service. West Seattle to the Seattle central business district and Bremerton to Seattle have been other passenger-only routes attempted by private enterprise.
  • The small Jetty Island Ferry runs the short distance between the Everett Marina and the man made, unpopulated Jetty Island in the summer months for tourists.

References

External links