Skagit County to switch Guemes Island Ferry to fully electronic ticketing March 19; vehicle ferry out for dry dock March 15–April 29

Skagit County Public Works announced a rollout of a fully electronic ticketing system for the Guemes Island Ferry the week of March 19, with on-site technical help at the Anacortes terminal during the initial days.

The new fares took effect Feb. 26 and the county will “roll out fully on the nineteenth,” Rachel Rowe, area operations division manager, said during a March 11 commissioners meeting presentation. Rowe said the county will staff a live help desk at the terminal March 19–21, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., to assist riders with app downloads, purchases and troubleshooting.

Why it matters: the vehicle ferry will be out of service for dry dock March 15–April 29. Beginning March 15 only walk-on passenger tickets, 25‑trip passenger multi-ride passes, bicycles and motorcycles will be sold; no vehicles will be accommodated while the vehicle ferry is unavailable. That change affects drivers who normally use the ferry for vehicle crossings during the dry-dock window.

Public Works and the vendor Anchor said riders can buy tickets three ways: the Guemes Island Ferry website, the Anchor mobile app (Apple and Android), or in person at the terminal. Rowe said convenience passes no longer expire after 90 days; instead, “Every ticket that we sell is good through the end of the year,” and all tickets show a December 31 expiration for the calendar year.

The county asked riders to contact ferry staff directly with questions and gave the terminal phone number: “Our phone number at the ferry terminal is (360) 293-6433,” Rowe said. She also provided an email for technical questions and comments: ferrycomments@co.skagit.wa.us. Rowe said printed trifold brochures with QR codes for downloading the app and user guides will be available at the terminal.

Technical note: some mobile-browser purchases initially failed because the county’s chosen credit-card processor requires a redirect to the processor’s web page. Steven, representing Anchor (the ticketing vendor), explained the current workflow: customers are redirected to the processor’s page to submit payment; after the processor confirms the charge, Anchor issues the QR-code ticket. That workaround has been implemented and, per the presenters, sales via web and app are now functioning.

Fares and ticket handling: Rowe confirmed a senior/disabled single walk-on fare of $3.50 and an adult walk-on fare of $5.50; she said a 25‑trip senior/disabled pass costs $81 (representing a modest surcharge structure compared with single-ride pricing). Riders under 18 are part of the county’s youth-ride-free program (implemented August 2023) and must still accept or be issued a free youth ticket so the county can track ridership for state reimbursement.

On boarding, crew members will scan a passenger’s QR code as they board; multi-ride convenience passes are implemented as a single QR that can be scanned multiple times or as individually printed single-use QR receipts. Rowe and Anchor staff said the app displays remaining uses for multi-ride passes; passengers who purchase paper convenience passes will get a printed QR code and may be issued a plastic ID holder and lanyard by Anchor staff if requested.

Oversize vehicles and in-person sales: the website allows online purchase for vehicles up to 60 feet. For vehicles longer than 60 feet, the purser at the terminal will measure and sell the appropriate ticket on-site; Rowe said the county has a policy of no refunds for incorrectly purchased vehicle-length tickets and urged customers to have vehicles measured at the terminal if they are unsure. County internal departments will have their own accounts for charging and invoicing; Public Works usage is being tracked at a $0 rate for now.

Support and troubleshooting: crew training will be held March 17–18, with the system going live March 19 and live help desks in the lobby March 19–21. Rowe and Anchor staff asked riders with email filters or corporate spam protections to whitelist the ticketing correspondence address; county staff had to whitelist the vendor’s messages internally during testing.

Rider resources: brochures and video recordings of the how-to sessions will be posted on the county website for later viewing. Rowe encouraged riders with technology concerns to call the terminal or visit the help desk during the March 19–21 assistance window so staff can help transfer paper tickets into the app or troubleshoot magic-link emails and app logins.

For ferry questions or technical help, the county listed the terminal phone at (360) 293-6433 and the email ferrycomments@co.skagit.wa.us.