Pierce County ferry fares are going up again. Here’s what we know about the new rates
If you’re planning a trip to Anderson Island this summer, know that the price of your ticket is going up again.
Starting Jan. 1, ferry fares from Steilacoom to Anderson Island or Ketron Island increased 3% over 2023 rates. Fares will also increase another 5% in 2025.
Looking at your receipt you’ll also see a $1 surcharge added to fares in both 2024 and 2025 to support ferry capital replacements.
The new cost of an adult walk-on ticket will be $7.50 in 2024 and $7.75 in 2025. The cost of ferrying a vehicle up to 22 feet long will be $22.50 in 2024 and $23.75 in 2025 during non-peak season, according to the latest ordinance passed by the Pierce County Council.
Peak season is when two boats service Anderson Island, from May 24 to Sept. 2. Non-peak season with one boat is from Jan. 1 through May 23 and Sept. 3 through Dec. 31.
In November 2021, the Pierce County Council approved the first fare hikes since 2016 with 8.9% rate increase in 2022 and 6.2% increase in 2023. The fare increases raised the cost of an adult walk-on ticket from $5.45 to $6.21 and the cost of ferrying a driver with a vehicle under 23 feet long from $19.93 to $20.90 during the non-peak season.
Youth and children under the age of 18 will be able to ride the ferry for free, as long as Washington state continues to subsidize their tickets in the 2023-2025 transportation budget. The Steilacoom School District will authorize three round-trip vehicle trips each school day at no cost.
The fare increases are the result of growing operation and capital costs for the ferry system, which gets some subsidy from the county roads fund, as previously reported by The News Tribune. In 2022, nearly $5 million from the road fund and ferry reserves were used to cover the shortfall of the system’s $11.5 million operating and capital costs, according to the county.
The plan is by increasing ferry rates, the ferry system will become more self-sustaining, Trever Threde, the county’s Airport & Ferry Administrator told News Tribune reporters in April 2023.
As previously reported by The News Tribune, breakdowns and delays in ferry service last year left many residents, including students as young as third-graders, stranded on the island or mainland. Jen Tetatzin, the director of the county’s Planning and Public Works department, told The News Tribune that Pierce County will “continue to prioritize planned maintenance to reduce the risk of unplanned breakdowns, to the extent the Ferry Operations budget can support.”
What are the new ferry rates for walk-ons or bicycles?
Adults (ages 19+): $7.50 in 2024 and $7.75 in 2025
Youth and children (age 18 and under): Free in 2024 and 2025
Senior or disabled citizens: $4 in 2024 and $4.25 in 2025
Value pass (five round trips): $26.50 in 2024 and $27.75 in 2025
New ferry rates for vehicles
Vehicles up to 22 feet long
In 2024: $22.50 during non-peak times and $30.75 during peak times
In 2025: $23.75 during non-peak times and $32.25 during peak times
Senior or disabled citizens fare for vehicles up to 22 feet long
In 2024: $19 during non-peak times and $25.75 during peak times
In 2025: $20 during non-peak times and $27 during peak times
Value pass for vehicles up to 22 feet long (five round trips)
In 2024: $87.25 during peak and non-peak times
In 2025: $91.50 during peak and non-peak times
New ferry rates for motorcycles
Motorcycle/stowage
In 2024: $12.25 during non-peak times and $17.25 during peak times
In 2025: $12.75 during non-peak times and $18 during peak times
Motorcycle/stowage for senior or disabled citizens
In 2024: $10.25 during non-peak times and $14.50 during peak times
In 2025: $10.75 during non-peak times and $15.25 during peak times
Motorcycle value pass (five round trips)
In 2024: $45.50 during peak and non-peak hours
In 2025: $47.75 during peak and non-peak hours
Additional ferry prices for larger vehicles longer than 22 feet can be found on Pierce County’s website.
This story was originally published April 12, 2024 at 12:43 PM.
