County accepts final report on state-funded marine transportation pilot; council asks staff for executive summary for advocacy

San Juan County staff presented the final report on a state-funded marine transportation pilot on Sept. 9 and the County Council accepted the report and requested staff to prepare a concise executive summary for state and federal advocacy.

The county ran three short emergency services (activated as needed) and one twice-daily scheduled service from Anacortes to the islands across a 10‑week period in spring; combined ridership approached 2,400 passenger boardings across the programs. Staff said one planned barge activation did not carry users and that emergency activations were limited; the county did not extend the pilots beyond the funded period and is trying to recover unspent funds with the state.

Survey responses showed many users were older mainland residents (age 65+) using the service for leisure visits; some interisland users reported the service was useful but difficult to plan around because some runs lacked fixed schedules. Contractors and operators reported the pilot required extra administrative effort from county staff and the operators. Councilors praised staff and contractors and urged a written summary of lessons learned for the governor—s office and legislative delegations. Council members noted the pilot ran coincidentally with a period when Washington State Ferries service was functioning better than in other intervals, limiting conclusions about the pilot—s comparative value.

Council directed staff to work with Council member Fuller to prepare an executive summary and cover letter summarizing lessons learned, staffing and capacity constraints, and recommendations to support potential future programs or legislative proposals (for example, mosquito fleet / small boat support). The council accepted the final report for informational purposes; no new funding was committed.