Over 1.3 million more riders boarded Washington State Ferries in 2023, with the Edmonds-Kingston run seeing the greatest year-to-year increase compared to 2022, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said.
According to WSDOT, the ferry system’s overall 7.4% spike from 2022 pushed annual ridership to nearly 18.7 million last year.
The Edmonds/Kingston run was restored to two-boat service in 2023. Total ridership on the route – vehicles and passengers combined – was up 15%. Vehicle traffic on the route soared 13% while walk-ons rose 11%.
The Mukilteo/Clinton run saw the second-largest gain, with total ridership up 9%. The route remained the busiest run for drivers, with a 7% increase in vehicle traffic, while walk-ons jumped 12%.
For the second year in a row, the rise in annual ridership was fueled by a large jump in walk-on passengers. The number of walk-ons rose by nearly 487,000, or 14.2%, as tourism and in-person work continue to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, WSDOT said. Vehicles carried climbed by a more modest 372,000, or 4.3%, even though four routes remain unrestored to 2019 service levels.
The Seattle/Bainbridge Island run was the system’s busiest in 2023 with 4.8 million total riders, followed by Mukilteo/Clinton with 3.7 million.
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