'Mosquito Fleet Act' could bring small ferries to more Puget Sound communities

Washington State's new ferry boats are years away.

It's a painful reality for waterfront communities that depend on ferries.

But a new bill in the Legislature promises to give them some relief.

The bill would let small communities along Puget Sound create "mosquito fleets" of passenger-only ferries. The boats would likely carry up to 149 people each.

Currently only Kitsap and King counties have passenger-only lines like that.

House Bill 1923 would change the rules so that any public transit service in the state could start up a line. It also includes a grant program to help pay for them.

State Rep. Greg Nance (D–Bainbridge Island) sponsored the bill. He said it would bring much-needed transportation to waterfront towns suffering from a shortage of state ferry boats.

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He listed several places that could benefit:

• The San Juan Islands could reconnect with Sydney, British Columbia, for tourists, and could connect to Bellingham for jobs and for medical appointments.
• Everett.
• Vashon, Des Moines and South Seattle could be joined by a circular route. The Des Moines stop would offer fast connections to SeaTac airport.
• Lake Washington routes could carry commuters. “So, Kirkland and Bellevue over to the University of Washington without having to drive your car,” he said.

One skeptic of the bill is Rep. Julia Reed (D–Seattle), vice chair of the House Transportation Committee.

Reed said she's skeptical due to the cost of supporting new ferry routes. She said the transportation budget already faces a deficit and will struggle to pay for things it's already committed to.

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"I want to be really cautious about rapidly expanding programs that counties aren't able to sustain on their own, that may and likely will require significant state funding," Reed said.

She said funding the bill would mean not paying from some other important thing.

Reed also said she's unclear whether waterfront communities really have the demand to support passenger ferry lines.

She said she’s keeping an open mind though, and said is waiting to hear how waterfront communities testify before the House Transportation Committee, if and when the bill gets a public hearing.

UPFATE: Hearing is now scheduled for Wednesday, February 19 at 4pm.

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Like all bills this session, the Mosquito Fleet Act must pass important milestones within the next two weeks in order to survive.

Stakeholders can weigh in now on the Mosquito Fleet Act by going to the HB 1932's page and clicking the button that says, "Send a comment on this bill to your legislators."

Correction 2/27/2025 2:00 PM: Representative Greg Nance previously mentioned Burien as part of the South Sound circular route. He has since clarified that Burien is not on the list, and further clarified that the Des Moines stop would be the "Airport Express connecting port."