Skagit County Adopts 2025 Guemes Island Ferry Fare Schedule

On Monday, January 27^th, the Skagit Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution #20250015 to establish the 2025 Guemes Island ferry fare schedule. The new fare schedule will be in effect starting February 26, 2025, through December 31, 2025.
The 2025 fare schedule can be found here.
Skagit County Public Works presented the draft 2024 ferry fare revenue target report and the first proposed 2025 ferry fare schedule to the Skagit Board of County Commissioners on Monday, August 5th. The County Commissioners then hosted two public hearings on September 17^th and December 20^th to receive testimony from the public on the revised proposed ferry fare schedules. To rewatch the hearings, please visit the TV21 archive page.
The proposed 2025 ferry fare schedule is designed to achieve the target 65% fare box recovery rate by the end of 2028. This goal was established by the Skagit County Commissioners through Resolution R20230152. The fare box recovery rate for 2023/2024 was 45%. Road funds collected from all Skagit County property owners subsidize the deficit between the operations and maintenance expenditures for the ferry and fare box revenue. In 2023, the road fund subsidy was $1,708,100. In 2025, the road fund subsidy is expected to be $2.5 million to $3.2 million. 
A previous alert was sent on January 22^nd regarding the updated policy for paper punch cards. As a reminder, paper punch cards are transferable if you have concerns with using rides before the end of the year.
More information on the Guemes Island ferry can be found on our webpage. Sign up for email and text message alerts for the ferry here.
 
Previous Alert on Guemes Ferry Paper Punch Cards
On Tuesday, January 21^st, the Skagit Board of County Commissioners passed Resolution #20250009, which amends and supersedes Resolution #20240282, regarding the sale and future use of paper punch cards. Resolution #20240282 suspended the purchase of paper punch cards after December 30^th, 2024, and required all punch cards to be used by March 14, 2025.
Resolution #20250009 includes the following updates regarding the future use of paper punch cards:

• Any and all dated printed paper punch cards (regardless of the printed expiration date on the punch card) cannot be used whatsoever after and beyond two (2) weeks following the date of the ferry’s return from the 2025 drydock. Public Works staff will update the public on the exact dates for the scheduled drydock this spring.       
  • Punch card holders may elect to use vehicle punch cards for passenger fares during the scheduled 2025 drydock, in which case one (1) vehicle punch shall be credited as equal to one (1) passenger punch on the card until the completion of the 2025 drydock.
• The COVID emergency punch cards (issued without an expiration date) and the convenience cards (marked “no expiry”) will be allowed for regular use by the holders until and through December 31, 2025, and after such time no use of COVID emergency punch cards or convenience cards will be allowed whatsoever.