EDMONDS — Washington State Ferries announced that it increased ridership by over a half million in 2024.

The agency said 19.1 million people used the ferry system last year, up 2.6% over 2023. The majority of the increase was due to walk-on passengers, which jumped almost 6% over its 2023 total.

Canceled sailings, a bane to travelers around Puget Sound, were at their lowest since 2020, the agency reported.

The Edmonds-Kingston ferry route was the second-busiest in the system and allows Snohomish County residents easy access to Kitsap County and the Olympic Peninsula. The route had 3.7 million riders last year, up 5.5% over 2023.

The Edmonds-Kingston route also had the largest system-wide jump in vehicle traffic.

The Seattle-Bainbridge Island route is the most heavily used in the system at 4.9 million passengers.

The Mukilteo-Clinton route saw a slight decrease in usage but a massive jump in pedestrian traffic. Walk-ons to that ferry increased by 9.4% last year. Construction on Edgewater Bridge along Mukilteo Boulevard has impacted ferry traffic, and the main thoroughfare between Everett and Mukilteo is not expected to be completed until late this year.

Increases in usage, controversy surrounding state COVID-19 policies, and an aging fleet of ferries have made the system a major focus of politicians.

In the 10th District, Democrat Dave Paul made it one of the priorities of his successful reelection campaign. In his inaugural address, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson called the system “broken.”

Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@heraldnet.com; X: @jordyhansen.