Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Port of Olympia Citizens Advisory Committee (POCAC) is looking into the return of passenger-only ferry service for Olympia, as part of its 2025 work plan.
Representatives of the committee met with the Port of Olympia Commission on Monday, March 24, to discuss their plans for the year.
Among those plans was to explore opportunities for ferry service in light of the advances made by House Bill 1923, a bill primarily sponsored by state Rep. Greg Nance (D-District 23), which aims to increase the availability of passenger-only ferries.
The bill was passed by the House after a third reading on March 7 and is currently pending at the committee-level in the Senate.
Anthony Hemstad, chair of POCAC’s economic development subcommittee, told the commission that he and Commissioner Jasmine Vasavada are active in testifying for the bill.
He said if the bill passes, it would allow the port to work with other jurisdictions to establish ferry routes that include Olympia.
Hemstad also mentioned that a previous version of the bill contained provisions for funding, but it has been stripped out in its current form.
“Unfortunately, the year being what it is, the budgetary aspect of it was stripped out of the legislation. But still, it would be very helpful to have the legislation pass so that this is something that we can actually do in the future,” Hemstad said.
This would not be the first time that POCAC is studying ferry service.
Previous members produced a report in 2018 that evaluated the cost and benefits of ferry service between Olympia and Seattle, as well as compiled recent studies about ferry service in the region.
Other components of the committee’s 2025 work plan include investigating opportunities to diversify the marine terminal’s business and to increase the Olympia Regional Airport’s community and economic value.
The committee also plans to review the work done by previous iterations of the committee and to develop a charter for its three subcommittees.
Commissioner Amy Evans Harding asked how the committee’s work would interface with staff’s efforts. She mentioned that previous POCAC members have produced reports that were never used and that there were instances that the committee was against the work being done by staff.
“The last thing we want to do is waste your time. We want to use the work product,” Evans Harding said.
Hemstad agreed that they would not want their time wasted and described their committee as a force multiplier for staff.
“The Port of Olympia is not robustly staffed. You have great staff, but there are very few of them,” Hemstad said.
“POCAC members have a variety of different backgrounds and there are some things we can add value on.”
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PollyinWA
To go where? Seattle? That'd be cool.
Friday, March 28, 2025 Report this
Boatyarddog
This "income" Idea has been visited MANY times in the past, like an Echo, the answer has been Zero reasonable probability it would Break even... So ...ANOTHER BIG PHOO ON ferry service.
Friday, March 28, 2025 Report this
jimlazar
This is an incredibly uneconomic concept.
Ferries are really expensive. Expensive to buy, expensive to maintain, and expensive to operate. They are necessary to make places like Vashon Island work, but we have roads that go where we want to go -- Seattle, Port Townsend, Tacoma, Bremerton.
The Kitsap Ferry costs about about $40 per rider to carry passengers from Bremerton to Seattle. But 80% of this is tax-subsidized. Federal grants helped pay for their boats, and local sales tax helps pay the operating expense. The fare covers about 30% of the operating cost, and none of the capital or long-term maintenance costs.
But the Bremerton - Seattle distance is only one-fourth of the distance from Olympia to Seattle. So our trips could cost more than $100 per passenger. Even if 80% was tax-subsidized, it would still be a $20 fare, compared with $4.50 on the transit bus (which is also tax-subsidized).
A funding structure that relies on grants and taxes does not change the cost, just who pays the cost. Our sales tax is high enough -- many people shop in Portland to evade our sales tax, and raising it to subsidize a ferry would just push more business out of town.
What would the destination be? A ferry to Seattle would be a 3+ hour ride. Sure, I'd do that once in a while as a recreational trip, but I can take the train and be there in half the time, or drive (and actually get to where I'm going) in half the time. Yes, a high-speed hydrofoil is possible, but the costs then skyrocket even higher.
This is a really dumb idea, and I'm surprised that intelligent people are spending two minutes on it.
Friday, March 28, 2025 Report this
KarenM
The ferry to Seattle would be likely be less convenient than the train. When I hear people say they 'want a ferry' or 'want a train' that goes to Seattle, I want to ask a couple of questions:
Do you ride the current train service? How frequently do you ride it, or would you ride it?
Same questions for the passenger ferry. Would you ride it? How often?
Realize that once you get to Seattle, by train or ferry, you often need to also use a bus to get to where you are going.
On this end, in Olympia, you will need to bus or drive to the train or ferry. Those conveyances cannot pick you up at your door.
All that said, I think bus and train are useful and appropriate travel options. The ferry just plain costs a pile of money and would need a big subsidy from all of us. I would rather use tax dollars for other priorities such as bus-only lanes on the freeway or other ways to improve bus trip convenience.
If we need to do something for disaster preparedness that is a different thing than a full time operating, money losing passenger ferry service.
Friday, March 28, 2025 Report this
KatAshe
Better to have high speed train service with stops at Tacoma, the airport and Seattle.
I miss the train service I experienced living in the U.K. and various European countries for many years. I’d love to be able to take a train to Seattle, have lunch and see a matinee at a theater or visit a museum exhibition, then take a train home.
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
BobJacobs
This is an obvious non-starter. There is nothing in our situation that would make one think a passenger ferry could be economically viable here. Small population, slow service, very high costs.
No surprise that previous studies have concluded that a passenger ferry here is economically infeasible.
Bob Jacobs
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
TheGreatAnon
I'm sure the resident Orca pod would love a high speed ferry ripping through their home several times a day.
It would be cool to ride a ferry to Seattle but then again it would be cool to do a few orbits around the Earth.
Moving on...
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
olyhiker
No! No! A thousand times NO! We are monetarily a mess already. Taxes going up and taxes being added. You know this would be a money pit. Not needed, for heaven's sake!
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
CaptObvious
Y’all realize it’s not a straight line from Olympia to Seattle via water, right?
It’s about 50nm from Olympia to Seattle via water. At 25 knots, that’s a two hour trip. With the caveat that 25 knots would be a very optimistic and a really uncomfortable ride. In any rough water (Dana Pass, the Narrows, etc) it’s going to be slower. In reality it’s probably closer to 3-4 hours.
No one is going to do this for any reason other than the novelty of it.
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
Robertkam
Someone should operate a ferry between Steamboat Island and Boston Harbor but I agree that one from Olympia to Seattle doesn't make economical sense.
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
JulesJames
The Steamship Virginia-V hauls paying passengers on the Seattle-Olympia route (with a stop in Tacoma) every year to participate in Olympia's Harbor Days Labor Day celebration. The voyage is a soul-satiating maritime voyage. But we schedule to surf with the 8+ MPH tides through the Tacoma Narrows. Regularly-scheduled passenger-only ferries as a for-profit venture fighting those tides half the time? Nah - never. Passenger-only ferry service with a terminal at an international airport would stand a slim chance of success. But do we really want to build a waterfront SeaTac Airport? Bad bill. Vote no.
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
HotTractor
I get with a ferry there's few Right of way issues, but i'd rather a train service to Seattle.
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
HappyOlympian
Awful idea, any funds devoted on this better spent elsewhere, or best option, not spent at all.
Saturday, March 29, 2025 Report this
Person of Interest
In a world of unlimited money this idea would probably be successful. But in the real word, as defined by the at least the next four years, the state should be focusing on the greatest good for the most people. Ferry’s to the islands or around the Sound are a fantasy with the exception of very select routes. Any passenger ferry service will need to be substantially subsidized by the state or some local entity. No one has money in a transportation budget to pay for services for what mostly would be service to a small constituency. Voters want light rail, better train and bus service, improved highways and roads and have their pot holes filled. We cannot count on state and federal funds supporting this mode of transportation especially in these lean years. Also please note historically the Mosquito Fleet, in the past, was self sustaining as they were the only option for freight and mail but we now have highways and no chance of a non subsidized ferry service.
Sunday, March 30, 2025 Report this
dave123
Olympia is on fairly direct highways to Tacoma/Seattle and to Shelton. Also, the south Puget Sound area has no isolated city, island, or tourist destination, that would warrant ferry service from Olympia. This proposal would generate essentially no benefit to the community. There are better ways to spend money. In fact, this would be a ridiculous waste of money.
Sunday, March 30, 2025 Report this
Yeti1981
Clearly, from the comments, people just aren't interested in all the benefits this service would offer. They'd rather sit in traffic on I-5 than have mutli-modal alternatives.
Monday, March 31, 2025 Report this
Boatyarddog
Passenger only ferry service from the Port was an idea invented to prop up the failing Port of Olympias LONGSHORE union in providing profitable Jobs.
Better to just Close the Marine Terminal and move the longshore to Tacoma.
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Report this
S2345S23456
While ferries are pretty fun to ride, I think we need less disturbances in the waters - let's do our best to let that habitat thrive. It would truly help to get more cars off of I5 to reduce traffic and reduce carbon emissions by making use of carbon-saving mass trans. As other people have said here, trains would be a nice way to go about getting to Seattle (& other places along the way).
Saturday, April 5, 2025 Report this