BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A new way to reach the San Juans directly from Bellingham could be on the horizon.

Washington State Ferries recently released a study on passenger-only ferries in the San Juan Islands and north Puget Sound.

One of the routes it proposed would run seven days a week in the summer between Bellingham and Friday Harbor.

The trip would take roughly 50 minutes one-way and is estimated to save Bellingham riders nearly two hours from the current way to get across by driving to Anacortes and taking the ferry.

The proposed route was the most expensive that was explored, mainly due to the longer crossing distance and the larger, 250-passenger vessel that’s needed to traverse the North Sound’s rough waters.

The route’s capital costs are estimated to run between $72 and $83 million.

The State Ferries’ study also looked at the potential for inter-island service within the San Juan Islands.

Still, the new routes are far from guaranteed.

The Seattle Times reports that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed skepticism over the amount of funding the project would require.