Would you take a fast ferry from Tacoma to Seattle? The idea is being floated
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Electric fast ferry pilot for Pierce County proposed for 2026 World Cup transit.
- Plan seeks $2M in partner funding to match county’s tourism tax investment.
- Ferry design, access, cost and infrastructure details remain under review.
Dreams of bringing fast-ferry service to Tacoma might become reality in a new proposal tied to the World Cup.
Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, who has long expressed interest in getting such a service established in Tacoma, presented the latest proposal on Tuesday to the Port of Tacoma Commission.
The proposal would shuttle World Cup fans to and from Seattle in rides averaging one hour each way in eight daily round trips.
The ferries would be 100% electric hydrofoil, passenger-only models. The one-year pilot plan calls for two 29-passenger models with room for bicycles and luggage, according to Tuesday’s presentation slides. The service would begin in time for the 2026 World Cup soccer tournament games held in Seattle in June of next year.
“We are estimated to host about 775,000 people to Puget Sound over the three-week time period,” Mello told the commission. “Many of them will be coming before the games and stay after the games... .”
He added, “We want these games to be accessible ... not only for those that can afford and will take advantage of going to Lumen Field, where the games will be played, but accessible for those who can’t afford to do that.”
“Our big nut to crack in hosting this many visitors is how we move all these people around and have an enjoyable experience,” he added.
According to information in the presentation, the ferries are constructed in the United States by Artemis Technologies, a spinoff from the America’s Cup professional sailing team, Artemis Racing. The goal is for the boats to eventually be produced on the Tacoma Tideflats.
Emails shared with The News Tribune on Wednesday indicate that Tacoma nonprofit Energize Tacoma, founded by Herschel Wilson, initially was in contact with Artemis officials about a local fast ferry service for Seattle-Tacoma, reaching out to facilitate a local demonstration, which it featured on its social media, as well as researching feasibility.
Betty Baublits is economic development director for Pierce County. As a co-presenter at Tuesday’s meeting, she told commissioners that the U.S. Coast Guard is looking at the ferry designs. She added that a memorandum of understanding is in place with a potential ferry operator already in business in San Francisco (Prop SF). The company runs a ferry to Treasure Island and is an investor in Artemis.
“We’re not boat operators,” Mello said. “We have a third party who is beyond qualified to do that. We’re the lead funder and looking for other funders to join us to make this possible.”
Some details are yet to be determined or announced, such as docking locations, parking sites and initial pricing for passengers.
“The team is out looking at the charging requirements of different locations in Tacoma and Seattle to figure out the infrastructure pieces to make all those these things happen,” Baublits told the commission.
Expansion beyond World Cup
In response to questions from The News Tribune, Baublits reiterated that plans are still in the formative stages.
“We are still working due diligence and numbers, so I don’t have answers yet in terms of ridership costs/fees,” she said via email. “We are currently focused on public and private outreach efforts to see if enough resources can be raised to operate a one-year pilot program.”
“My caveat is some details could possibly change as we go through approval processes. The focus of the project is tourist-related connecting the Seattle and Tacoma waterfronts.”
Following the yearlong pilot program, “leaders will determine what the next steps look like,” she added.
Other considerations raised by the commission Tuesday included access to/from the boats and to other parts of the city, specifically downtown so passengers can go beyond just the waterfront, as well as ADA compliance at the docks.
“I get that this is the pilot project, but when I look at those leather seats, I’m just like, is this just for a certain class of people that we are going to afford this to?” port Commissioner Kristen Ang said. “But I know that we are planning to make this bigger and for more people — accessibility is really important.”
Port Commission Vice President Dick Marzano envisioned life with the ferries after the World Cup.
“I would envision an opportunity to open up and keep this thing around and keep moving forward,” Marzano said. “The cruise business out of Seattle, they have a lot of repeat customers, and maybe some of those customers could come and see Tacoma. And then you look at Gig Harbor ... having maybe people that work in Tacoma, but live in Gig Harbor, where they would have an avenue. So I see a lot of possibilities, opportunities.”
Funding
The pilot program would run for one year from the launch date, and $2 million of Pierce County lodging-tax funds have been pledged for matching funding support, according to the presentation. The project’s proponents are seeking four founding partners to invest $500,000 each, with the port potentially being one.
“We have the seed money, which is about six months of operation, but we need the other six months to make it all work there. So we were hoping that you would consider being one of our founding partners,” Baublits told the commissioners.
While commissioners voiced support, no action other than the presentation occurred on Tuesday.
“There are a lot of plates spinning really, really fast. That’s why we’re out talking to partners to make sure we can afford to do this, and then all the other things are going to line up,” she added.
“Everyone’s working really, really hard and really fast, because we all have a lot to prove, and we all have a lot to gain.”
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
