10-million fewer people rode the ferry in the last year than in normal non-covid-y times. What does that mean?! According to WSDOT, that's almost half as much traffic - down 41%.
For the first time in its history, 2020 had more cars than people travel aboard a ferry boat. Pandemic walk-ons just weren't there.
The sailings between Mukilteo and Clinton carried the most customers and still dropped off by more than a quarter.
The route seeing the biggest dip: Seattle - Bremerton. Traffic between the two port cities fell off by more than 60%. People don't need to go downtown specifically for work so those trips are way down.
WSDOT broke down the different sailings:
Mukilteo/Clinton: Carried the most customers in the system for the first time despite a 26% drop in total riders. Remains busiest route for drivers, even with a 19% decrease in vehicles.
Edmonds/Kingston: Total riders fell 29% and vehicles declined 22%.
Seattle/Bainbridge Island: Total riders down 59% with the system’s largest year-to-year drop in walk-on passengers at 74%, vehicles decreased 36%.
Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: Total riders fell 39%, vehicles declined 31%.
Anacortes/San Juan Islands: Total riders dipped 30%, vehicles down 21%.
Seattle/Bremerton: Largest year-to-year drop (excluding international service) with total riders down 64%, led by a decrease in walk-on passengers of 72%; vehicles fell a system high 50%.
Point Defiance/Tahlequah: Smallest year-to-year dip with total riders down 22% and vehicles dropping 15%.
Port Townsend/Coupeville: Total riders decreased 37%, vehicles fell 30%.
Anacortes/Friday Harbor/Sidney, British Columbia: Total riders and vehicles both declined 99% due to border restrictions.
I wonder how long it'll be before we get back to 2019 numbers again?