There is quite a bit happening with our ferry system this month, including a five-day ferry outage, an upcoming deliberation on ferry fares and several infrastructure projects that will affect how we get on and off the island.
Here are a few dates worth keeping on your calendar.
October 17 — Ferry Tales: A Night of Guemes Ferry Memories
Saturday, October 17 | 7–9 p.m.
Guemes Island Community Center
Here’s an opportunity to celebrate our ferry’s past.
The Guemes Island Historical Society is hosting “Ferry Tales,” an evening of storytelling featuring islanders sharing their memories, along with stories from the audience.
Our ferry has been more than a way across the channel. It’s been part of our island’s identity and there are plenty of stories worth preserving. Come enjoy an evening of ferry history, familiar faces, and perhaps a few tales you’ve never heard before.
October 19–23 — Passenger-Only Ferry Service
Plan ahead: No vehicle service October 19–23.
Skagit County Public Works replacing the bridge apron flaps on both sides, beginning Monday, October 19, and continuing through Friday, October 23. These flaps are the finger sections at the ends of the loading aprons. They are a bit worn and have made replacement necessary. Contractors are expected to work most days and overnight to complete the project within the five day period.
What this means for you:
- The M/V Guemes is expected to continue operating with passenger only service.
- No cars, trucks or other vehicles will be transported during the project.
- Plan ahead for medical appointments, deliveries, contractors, and other needs requiring vehicle access.
- While this is an inconvenience, maintaining these pieces of infrastructure is necessary to keep our ferry functional.
It’s also important to understand that this is not the complete replacement of the entire apron(s). The entire bridge structure dates to 1979–1980 and is scheduled for more extensive improvements in a separate capital project.
October 20 — Commissioners Deliberate on 2027 Ferry Fares
Tuesday, October 20 | 8:30–9 a.m.
Skagit County Commissioners
1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon
Available on TV21, Zoom, and in person
While we’re navigating the vehicle outage, the Board of County Commissioners will be considering adoption of the 2027 ferry fare schedule. Our community has experienced substantial fare increases over the past three years and we have raised concerns about the county’s reliance on budgeted and projected expenses rather than actual operating costs when calculating fares. We have also encouraged the commissioners to consider what higher fares are doing to ridership. Raising ticket prices doesn’t necessarily produce the anticipated revenue when people begin changing their travel habits.
The Ferry Committee continues to advocate for a simpler, more transparent fare calculation grounded in actual expenses, realistic ridership expectations and long-term sustainability of our ferry system.
We encourage islanders to follow the deliberations. The decisions made today will affect the affordability and accessibility of ferry service for years to come.
Looking Ahead — Ferry Infrastructure Improvements
Beyond this month’s flap replacement, several larger projects are in development.
Anacortes and Guemes Ferry bridge work
Skagit County has secured $5,788,000 in federal funding through WSDOT’s Local Bridge Program for improvements to both ferry bridges.
This larger capital project is intended to address aging loading aprons, bridge coatings, structural repairs, and the hydraulic and electrical systems that operate the transfer spans.
The goal is to preserve the existing facilities and improve long-term reliability. These improvements are separate from the October flap replacement.
Guemes Island Ferry Parking Lot Redesign
Public Works is moving forward with plans to redesign the Guemes Island parking lot to improve ADA accessibility, pedestrian safety, and stormwater management.
The project currently has $262,277 in federal design funding, along with a required $65,569 local match.
Our community concerns have already been raised regarding:
- Potential loss of parking spaces.
- Safe entry, exit, and emergency vehicle access.
- Retaining walls and access to the public boat launch.
- The location of accessible parking spaces as they relate to the ferry terminal.
These are important particularly as we plan for future new ferry capacity and continued island access. The county has emphasized that its initial drawings are preliminary, not final decisions. Additional community engagement is expected as design work progresses.
Final design is targeted for 2028. Construction funding has not yet been secured. Comments can be directed to Public Works at pw@co.skagit.wa.us.
Anacortes Terminal Parking and Loading Lane Improvements
Plans are also being developed to improve vehicle holding lanes, pedestrian access, ADA compliance, and parking at the Anacortes terminal. The proposed improvements could help reduce vehicle impacts extending onto 6th Street while making access safer for pedestrians. This project is currently on hold until early 2027 while Public Works evaluates budget priorities. The City of Anacortes and Skagit County are also discussing possible city management of the Anacortes terminal parking lots. Community comments can be directed to ferrycomments@skagitcountywa.gov
Keeping Our Ferry Moving Forward
It’s easy to look at these projects individually, but for those of us who depend on the ferry, they’re all connected.
Reliable loading ramps, adequate parking, affordable fares and ferry capacity are all parts of the same transportation system. Decisions made about one affect the others. The Ferry Committee’s role is to help make sure those connections aren’t overlooked and that the people who use the ferry have a meaningful voice in its future. Please plan ahead for next week’s vehicle outage, consider attending Ferry Tales on Saturday, and stay engaged as the commissioners decide on ferry fares.
As always, thank you for your continued interest and participation in the future of our island’s lifeline.
