(The Center Square) – King County Water Taxi midday services to Vashon Island will continue through June 2027 thanks to recently secured state funding.
According to King County Executive Shannon Braddock’s Office, the midday service between Vashon Island and Seattle costs about $2.5 million annually. On May 20, the service’s funding was fully secured and can continue through 2027.
King County Metro Public Information Officer Al Sanders explained to The Center Square in an email that the state Legislature did not provide a direct allocation for the service. Instead, the funds to operate the midday sailings come from $10 million that the county was able to secure from the Legislature as part of the state transportation budget.
The transportation budget also includes $4 million allocated to Washington State Ferries, which will be distributed between the Kitsap Fast Ferry program and the King County Water Taxi. However, the distribution of the available $4 million has not yet been determined.
The Vashon Water Taxi first began midday sailings in the summer of 2024 with an average of 3,500 riders a month. The implementation of midday sailings led to a 55% increase in ridership from July through December 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Each weekday, the county’s water taxi takes 10 round trips to Vashon Island, including the four during midday hours.
King County Metro operates water taxi services to Vashon Island and West Seattle. According to King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison, residents of Vashon called for midday services to-and-from downtown Seattle.
“Thanks to these expanded sailings, Vashon Islanders can reliably connect to appointments, classes, errands, shopping – and local businesses benefit greatly too,” Allison said in a statement.
Braddock collaborated with Sen. Emily Alvarado, D-West Seattle and King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda to secure the funding for the midday services. Vashon Island is in both of their respective districts.
“Continuing these in-demand midday sailings to Vashon is a win for island residents and visitors alike,” Braddock said. “I applaud the collaboration across our region and our state to make this happen.”
