Officials: Everett to Langley passenger ferry may return next year

Published 6:30 am Tuesday, September 8, 2026

EVERETT — Officials at the Port of Everett and the Port of South Whidbey are considering bringing back a passenger ferry pilot program next year after seeing success during a months-long trial run this summer.

The “Harbor Hopper” ferry had connected Everett to Langley on Whidbey Island between June and August, ending on Aug. 29. During that three month long trial period, the ferry service provided about 1,500 trips to passengers traveling between the two cities, according to Catherine Soper, the Port of Everett’s chief of business development and tourism. It made just two round trips between the cities on most Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the summer.

After seeing the ridership numbers and hearing feedback from people who rode the ferry service, officials said they’re looking at the possibility of adding more trips in summer 2027.

“What we’re looking at, and what our gut is telling is to do, is to do an expanded pilot experience next year,” Soper said Wednesday.

The ports put the service in place this year as a way to encourage quick day trips between the two cities, hoping residents on both ends of the ferry route would try out new businesses and restaurants on Whidbey Island or in Everett.

“I think both communities really rallied around it too,” said Kate Anderson, the Port of Everett’s marina manager. “Not just the ports, but the people who live in the area and work on both sides loved that this was an option.”

Anderson and Soper said that on the Everett side, ferries connected people to free Music on the Marina concerts on Thursdays as well as restaurants along the city’s waterfront. Jim Pivarnik, the executive director of the Port of South Whidbey said that the ferry program was a hit for businesses on the Langley side of the Sound, bringing in tourists for the summer months that didn’t clog up the small town’s precious few parking spots.

“Our community is on board. We want to make this happen,” Pivarnik said of the service returning.

But bringing the service back, while a goal of officials in Everett and Langley, is not a foregone conclusion, Pivarnik said. Providing the ferries required the ports to chip in extra dollars — the Port of Everett estimated the extra investment at around $9,000, split between the two ports — as well as using sponsorships from businesses to help cover costs. Ferry tickets ranged from $16 to $20 for a round-trip; that didn’t even cover fuel costs, according to Pivarnik.

Emily Gilbert, a communications specliaist at the Port of Everett, wrote in an email Friday about 80% of the cost of ferry operations was covered by sponsors, while the other 20% of the costs were covered by the two port districts.

The two agencies are looking to create reports on the effectiveness of the pilot program over the next few months. Pivarnik said the service had a lot of support from port commissioners on both sides of Possession Sound as it could contribute to economic development in Langley and Everett, but any time the ports are using taxpayer dollars to provide a service, they need to stay accountable to the taxpayers and get input from residents as to how they could continue or improve the “Harbor Hopper.”

“If we can all come together, port districts and businesses, I think we can keep it going. If we get sponsorships, we can carry this forward and make it net zero,” Pivarnik said. “We’re not looking to make money on it, but we don’t want to lose a lot of money either.”

But even with a need to come up with funding ideas for an expanded pilot next year, officials at both port districts like the odds of a potential return for the walk-on ferries.

“If I were a betting guy, I’d say 80%,” Pivarnik said.

The ferry service was focused solely on tourism by design and wasn’t intended for commuters, with only a few trips running per week. The port districts chartered the 45-seat Hat Island Ferry to make the trips between Everett and Langley, which takes about 30 to 45 minutes. It’s normally used to shuttle people between Everett and Hat Island, a private island situated in Possession Sound.

Officials said they aren’t planning on purchasing their own vessel to run the service in the future. Nor would they consider running a regular commuter ferry service on their own; that’s outside the purview of of what port districts typically do, they said.

“I don’t see that in our crystal ball at this point,” Soper said. “… If there were additional tourism runs or a future commuter service, we would look to have either a private operator or a transit agency of some sort … That’s their expertise, our expertise is in marine infrastructure.”

State lawmakers have proposed legislation that would allow local port districts or transit agencies to fund passenger ferries through tolls or voter-approved taxes, but the bill didn’t pass in the 2026 legislative session.

The state House and Senate couldn’t come to an agreement on its language after the Senate amended it.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.