Ridership on ferries in Washington state last year was the highest it has been in 15 years with the ferry system carrying approximately 24.5 million people.
It was the ninth consecutive year of increases with a more than 250,000 spike in riders from 2016.
Last year there were 161,072 completed ferry trips and 901,288 miles traveled.
The route with the largest growth was the Fauntleroy/Southworth segment of the Triangle Route. The route had an 8.2 percent increase in passengers and an 8 percent increase in vehicles.
The busiest route by ridership was Seattle/Bainbridge Island, growing 1.5 percent, and the busiest route by drivers was Mukilteo/Clinton, rising 0.9 percent.
“We expect our ridership to continue to grow as more people move to Western Washington,” Amy Scarton, head of Washington State Ferries, said. “As part of the state highway network, the ferry system is a critical link between more affordable housing on the west side of the Sound and key employment centers on the east side. Not to mention, we’re also a major tourist attraction and an iconic part of the state.”
Washington State Ferries is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation. It is the largest ferry system in the country.