A new website has launched in order to provide information about and advocate for the return of the ferry which used to travel between Sidney and Anacortes, WA.
According to anacortes2sidney.org, the ferry operated from 1922 to 2019 in a mostly seasonal capacity—just shy of 100 years.
They claim that Washington State Ferries (WSF) has acknowledged the Sidney ferry run was profitable just after the ferry route was shuttered, but despite this, it was one of the first casualties in an overhaul due to short staffing and availability of vessels.
As conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic improved and borders reopened, many in Sidney hoped that the ferry line would reopen between the two communities, but it was announced in 2022 that the ferry wasn’t expected to reopen until at least 2030.
Just one year later, Sidney’s Mayor, Cliff McNeil-Smith penned a letter to Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington State to call on him for the ferry to enter service on the Sidney-to-Anacortes route once more.
In it, McNeil said not only was the ferry route important economically speaking, but also culturally.
“This ferry service is a significant contributor to our regional economy; it also plays an invaluable role in facilitating cultural preservation and connection among Coast Salish people on both sides of the border,” McNeil-Smith wrote.
He spoke to the history and importance of the two communities being bonded as sister cities—which was made official in 1966—and Sidney’s downtown hurting from the lack of tourists.
“During the ferry’s most recent year of service in 2019, it transported approximately 136,000 passengers,” he continued.
Governor Inslee did not publicly reply to this letter from Mayor McNeil-Smith.
In a February, 2023 media release, a group of legislators in Washington State said they have been working hard to convince WSF to hire staff and acquire vessels for the route.
They say that a historic $350 million USD had been allocated to recruit, train and retain the workforce needed for the next decade. In addition to this, over $1 billion USD has been put toward new vessel construction.
Despite this, they also acknowledged that the State’s transportation budget has been hindered by the pandemic due to less gas tax revenues.
Last February, these American legislators urged WSF to find short-term alternatives such as leasing additional vessels or providing passenger-only service to Vancouver Island, but no change has been seen since that time.
On the website for the ferry’s reinstatement, there is also a form to fill out in order to stay in the loop and show support to the cause.
It is unclear how many individuals or organizations have filled out the form to try and get the ferry back, as that information is not available on the website.
