Washington Ferry Ridership Drops To Lowest Point In 45 Years

SEATTLE — Ridership on Washington ferries dropped to its lowest point in almost half a century in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

New data released Tuesday showed WSDOT vessels welcomed nearly 10 million fewer customers in 2020, down 41 percent from 2019, amid stay-at-home orders, increased remote work and a sharp decline in tourism. Washington is home to the largest ferry system in the United States.

For the first time since its inception in 1951, Washington State Ferries also carried more vehicles than passengers last year. The state's official tallies count vehicles and their drivers separately from walk-ons and vehicle passengers.

"When COVID-19 drastically altered ridership patterns, we quickly adjusted service to math this new reality," said Amy Scarton, assistant secretary for Washington State Ferries. "Since late summer, we've been incrementally restoring sailings based on our COVID Response Service Plan, which considers demand, crew availability, vessel availability and funding."

In recent months, WSDOT said, overall ferry ridership has rebounded to 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels, with vehicles up to 70 percent of 2019 figures but walk-ons only at 20 percent.

The steepest drop in ridership, plummeting 64 percent, was recorded on the Seattle/Bremerton route, followed by a 59 percent decrease on the Seattle/Bainbridge Island route, which is historically the busiest in the fleet.

Here are the stats for each route from Washington State Ferries:

• Mukilteo/Clinton: Carried the most customers in the system for the first time despite a 26% drop in total riders. It remains the busiest route for drivers, even with a 19% decrease in vehicles.
• Edmonds/Kingston: Total riders fell 29% and vehicles declined 22%.
• Seattle/Bainbridge Island: Total riders down 59% with the system’s largest year-to-year drop in walk-on passengers at 74%, vehicles decreased 36%.
• Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: Total riders fell 39%, vehicles declined 31%.
• Anacortes/San Juan Islands: Total riders dipped 30%, vehicles down 21%.
• Seattle/Bremerton: Largest year-to-year drop (excluding international service) with total riders down 64%, led by a decrease in walk-on passengers of 72%; vehicles fell a system high 50%.
• Point Defiance/Tahlequah: Smallest year-to-year dip with total riders down 22% and vehicles dropping 15%.
• Port Townsend/Coupeville: Total riders decreased 37%, vehicles fell 30%.
• Anacortes/Friday Harbor/Sidney, British Columbia: Total riders and vehicles both declined 99% due to border restrictions.

According to WSDOT's COVID-19 travel dashboard, overall transit ridership is 62 percent lower than the same time in 2019, and Amtrak Cascades ridership is a whopping 86 percent lower. Highway traffic has rebounded the most, nearly matching pre-pandemic levels.

Washington State Ferries said it expects ridership to build as the state gains an upper hand on the pandemic and more sailings are restored.