BELLINGHAM, WA – (MyBellinghamNow.com) Washington ferries saw an increase in traffic last year, and the main surge came from walk on passengers.

WSDOT reports an over 7% spike brought the total ridership to nearly 18.7 million for 2023.

That means 1.3 million more riders used the ferries.

Numbers are still not as high as pre-pandemic levels, but the increase shows a continuing rebound trend.

The Edmonds/Kingston route saw the biggest spike, rising 15% in 2023 and the Seattle/Bainbridge route was the busiest with nearly five million total riders.

The aging fleet plus staffing issues has brought much scrutiny to the Washington State Ferry system in recent months.

Washington’s ferry system is the largest in the US and WSDOT touts the beautiful landscape throughout Washington’s waterways to be a major draw for riders.