May 1 is the beginning of the 2012 peak season for the Washington State Ferries, and this year the 25-percent peak-season surcharge includes an extra three-percent increase to help the ferry system stay afloat financially. What that means, in dollars and cents, is that a standard vehicle and driver will play $16.40, instead of $12.75, to get from Seattle to Bainbridge or Bremerton. Check the new fares here.
Passenger fares remain the same–the ferry system can almost always handle extra walk-ons. It’s drive-ons, during vacation season, that fill up the boats early and create multi-hour waits.
As of March 25, by the way, the spring schedule has been in effect, so be sure to check on that before you auto-pilot your way to the waterfront and miss your boat by fifteen minutes.
