Recently on another thread we were discussing the Ferry system and various claims were being made as to how many people might be affected by the cutbacks. One individual claimed up to 100,000 commuters daily. This lead me to research the numbers from a couple of sources. Washington State Ferries has an info page. Some of the people were quoting numbers from there. I tend to use the National Transportation Database on the USDOT website. All transit agencies report their numbers to the federal government annually. Interestingly, both seemed to be reporting 1997 figures, but the figures differed, and differed greatly. Below are some examples.

WSF claims 70,100 total passengers/day on their info website. They also claim 25,587,112 passengers carried per year.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/about-wsf/about-facts.cfm

What they reported to the feds for the same year however was 13,968,253 annual unlinked trips, and an average of 32,266 weekday unlinked trips., 39,083 Saturday unlinked trips, and 32,436 Sunday unlinked trips.

http://www.ntdprogram.com/NTD/Profiles.nsf/1997+Exceeding+200000/0035/ $File/P0035.PDF

These are for the WHOLE SYSTEM, not just the west sound to East Sound commute. So I think, unless the state is fibbing to the feds, the average number of unlinked trips is somewhat less than 35,000, at least in 1997.

Looking at the REST of the numbers, it would appear that WSF is telling people on their info site VERY different figures than what they are telling the feds. For example, on their info site they claim a 60% farebox recovery. The figures they are showing the feds aren
ft anything like that; 15% in 1996 ($17.3 million on operating expenses of $117 million) (http://www.ntdprogram.com/NTD/Profiles.nsf/1996+30+Largest+Agencies/0 035/$File/P0035.PDF)

And 14% in 1997 ($17.43 of $123 million operating expenses) (http://www.ntdprogram.com/NTD/Profiles.nsf/1997+Exceeding+200000/0035 /$File/P0035.PDF)

Of course, they spent an additional $84 million in 1996 and $127 million in 1997 in capital expenses too.

I tried to crosscheck these numbers with revenue figures in the state OFM, and couldn't find a source for WSF fare revenues. Certainly, if they are only bringing in around $17 million, that would REALLY cast doubt upon their assertion that they are carrying 25 million passengers a year. If they are only logging 35,000 boardings a day, does that mean that they are counting commuters one way, or both? Certainly the driving commuters would have to be counted both ways, but are they not reporting the walk-ons only one way? Since a passenger ticket costs $3.70 one-way, and is free the return trip, you'd expect at least $1.80 per passenger. With 25 million passengers, they ought to be bringing in at least $45 million annually for the passengers and drivers, PLUS what they get for the vehicles.

Can anyone give me any explanation for th

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), November 26, 1999