Big jump in ferry ridership in 2015

Published 2:15 pm Friday, January 15, 2016

In 2015, Washington State Ferries carried 23.9 million total riders, an increase of 2.9 percent over 2014 and the highest level since 2006. The number of vehicles carried system-wide was up 2.4 percent and the number of passengers increased by 3.4 percent over 2014.

The Seattle/Bremerton route increased 5.4 percent. This route comprised 11.1 percent of total ridership. This route carried 670,688 vehicles and 1,989,125 foot passengers, for a combined total of 2,659,813 passengers.

Of note, WSF’s two smallest routes saw the largest increases. Ridership on the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route increased by 9 percent and Port Townsend/Coupeville ridership increased 8.9 percent over the previous year.

The Seattle/Bainbridge route carried the most total riders, 6.3 million people. The Mukilteo/Clinton route to south Whidbey Island carried 2.2 million vehicles, more than any other route.

All of WSF’s 2015 traffic statistics are available online: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/traffic_stats/annualpdf/2015.pdf