LUMMI ISLAND, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Fare rates on the Lummi Island ferry will soon be lowered following a successful lawsuit by a local resident.
Whatcom County Public Works said in a statement that it will temporarily roll back Lummi Island fare rates to what they were in May 2024.
It comes after a judge ruled that Lummi Island resident Peter Earle was justified in his claim that a recent increase in ferry rates was miscalculated. He argued that the county incorrectly classified expenses for emergency repairs as operating costs in order to justify a rate increase in June 2024.
The county says that leaving the current fares in place would limit future annual rate increases to about 6% through 2034. But it says Earle insisted on bringing back the old rates, which the county claims will lead to at least a 60% fare increase in 2026.
Single passenger rates won’t be affected by the changes, but single vehicle, vehicle multiride and passenger multiride tickets will all become cheaper. The rolled back single-ride fares will take effect by Jan. 31 and the previous multi-ride fares will return by Feb. 20.
Public Works notes that multi-ride punch cards will not be for sale until new cards are made available at a later date.
Anyone with questions regarding the ferry updates can email the Whatcom County ferry services at ferry@co.whatcom.wa.gov.
