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Skagit County holds public hearing on proposed 2026 ferry fares and COVID-era punch-card conversion amid public concern over missed grants and ticketing system
Summary
Public Works presented a proposed 2026 ferry rate schedule tied to a 65% fare-box recovery target; residents and island groups urged the county to reconsider how external federal/state ferry funds are counted, to re-evaluate a new phone-based ticketing vendor, and to reduce steep increases for seniors and multi-ride discounts.
The Skagit County Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing Oct. 21 on a Public Works proposal to raise ferry fares in 2026 and to convert non-expiring COVID-era punch cards to electronic trips. The hearing drew dozens of in-person speakers from the Guemes Island ferry community and dozens more who joined by Zoom.
Public Works director Michael See told the board the fare proposal was prepared under the county's existing revenue-target methodology set in a 2023 resolution that requires a 65% fare-box recovery by Dec. 31, 2028. See and ferry operations manager Rachel Rowe said operating costs have risen sharply since 2015, pandemic-era factors and deferred maintenance raised expenses, and the county absorbed some costs previously in the road fund. Recent fare increases included a 14% increase in August 2023 and a 30% increase in February 2025.
Rowe summarized the 2026 proposal and comparisons with other county-run ferry operators in the state. The county's proposed 2026 nonpeak adult passenger fare would be $6.75 with a peak rate of $8.50; the proposed vehicle-and-driver fares are…
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