WNPA photo Rep. Greg Nance, D-Bainbridge, answers a question during a town hall meeting in Bremerton.
By Juan Jocom WNPA News Service
Missed doctor appointments. Hours-long delays. Students unable to get to school. Those are just a few of the issues fueling a bill to expand passenger-only ferries statewide.
The bill would deliver $50 million to put additional boats on the waters of Puget Sound by the end of this year.
In 2024, island communities worked with the Legislature and the state Department of Transportation to form the Fix Our Ferries Coalition, which advocates for funding more boats, addressing staffing shortages, and increasing accountability and transparency within Washington State Ferries.
One of the legislators involved with the coalition is Rep. Greg Nance, D-Bainbridge Island, who introduced The Mosquito Fleet Act (House Bill 1932), which expands passenger-only ferries in Washington. The bill is inspired by the Mosquito Fleet, a group of privately owned passenger steamboats that connected Puget Sound communities in the late 1800s.
The Mosquito Fleet Act could add more late-night and weekend trips for Vashon, Kitsap County Commissioner Katie Walters said. She noted that the expansion would not only boost island economies, especially during crucial tourist seasons like summer, but also help reduce carbon emissions. However, Walters expressed doubts about whether the additional ferries would arrive on schedule, given the delays WSF is facing with new vessel orders.
To speed the process, Nance said phase one of the bill will not include building new boats. Instead, they want to purchase used vessels from other states. “We want to get boats on the water as quickly as possible,” Nance said. “We can’t wait for a new build program.”
Nance has met with community members across Bremerton, Kingston, Poulsbo, and Vashon and San Juan islands to hear firsthand the challenges island residents face. “We’ve got to do better for our neighbors who are counting on ferries,” Nance said.
Additionally, Nance envisions introducing new ferry routes, including one in Grays Harbor connecting Westport and Ocean Shores and another on Lake Washington linking Kirkland and Seattle. With Seattle set to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in soccer in 2026, Nance said the bill would not only make “Washington ready for the world stage” but also address the long-standing frustrations of island residents.
According to WSF, 26 ferries are needed to run efficiently, but the agency has been operating with reduced trips due to a lack of vessels, a problem that won’t be fully resolved until 2028. Since 2020, most ferry cancellations and delays have been attributed to staffing shortages. However, recent WSF reports indicate improvements in on-time performance and completed sailings.
Since 2020, businesses and local communities on Vashon Island struggled with the ongoing ferry crisis, said Amy Dreyer, director of Islanders Ferry Action and a member of the Vashon Island chamber. “I live on Vashon, so the ferries are our lifeline,” Dreyer said. “We don’t have a bridge. We can’t drive around. If the boats are down, that means ambulances can’t get off the island. It means people can’t get off the island for medical appointments. It means people can’t bring goods to the island.”
Opponents of the bill raised concerns about the environmental impact of increased vessel traffic in Puget Sound, particularly regarding the health of orcas. Despite voting in favor, Rep. Julia Reed raised concerns about whether counties are prepared to manage additional boats if the bill is enacted, without needing additional state funding.