Bicycles

Riding your bike with Washington State Ferries means you get priority loading and unloading on most sailings. Coupled with the environmental, health and mobility benefits of biking, it’s no wonder approximately 280,000 people ride their bikes onto ferries each year. Whether you’re biking onto the ferry for the first time or are a seasoned rider, you’ll find a passionate community of cyclists and ferry staff to help you out. If you have questions not answered in this guide, don’t hesitate to ask a terminal staff member, your fellow commuter, or our staff at wsfinfo@wsdot.wa.gov.

Getting there

We recommend that bike passengers arrive 20 minutes prior to departure time to get priority loading. Late arrivals will be loaded after vehicles, although some routes allow for a mid-load during commuting hours. Please see below for terminal-specific information on accessing the terminal, purchasing tickets and bike parking.

Bike parking

Most of our terminals provide bike racks for your convenience. When bike parking is unavailable or bike racks are full, please be considerate of others in choosing where to stand with or park your bike while waiting for the ferry to arrive. Keep walkways, ramps, entrances, and the area around designated ADA parking spots clear.

Fares/tickets

• Bike passengers pay the standard walk-on passenger fare and are assessed a stowage surcharge of $1-4 depending on route (surcharge waived if using a multi-ride or ORCA card, except on Anacortes/San Juan Islands/Sidney British Columbia routes).
• Bikes with standard trailers do not pay an additional fare.
• Bikes towing kayaks or canoes pay the motorcycle and driver fare.

Loading

Bike passengers will load onto the forward end of the car deck, unless otherwise instructed by deck crew. Bikes loaded after vehicles (late arrivals) must remain at the rear of the boat and are not permitted to maneuver between vehicles to get to the forward end of the car deck. If it does not interfere with deck operations, bikes may be secured to eyebolts on the bulkhead or to railings. Bikes must remain on the car deck at all times. Please take all personal belongings, including bike bags, with you if leaving your bike unattended during the sailing. Shoes with exposed cleats are not permitted in the passenger cabin.

Unloading

Bikes on the forward end of the car deck are unloaded ahead of vehicle traffic, except when otherwise directed by crewmembers. Those who do not return to their bikes in time to unload ahead of vehicles will unload last. Bikes at the rear end of the deck will unload after vehicles. Please exercise caution when unloading, especially when unloading with walk-on passengers.

Forgotten/unattended bicycles

Bikes may be left unattended during the sailing, so long as they are properly secured on the car deck. DO NOT disembark the ferry without your bike. Bikes left on the ferry causes a “Person Overboard” response by the U.S. Coast Guard – resulting in service delays and costly search and rescue operations.

Bike share

Bike sharing is an increasingly popular mode of transportation in the Seattle region. All bikes are welcome on board ferries, however, we recommend leaving bike share bikes at the terminal and not bringing them on board. Bike share bikes must be parked outside of our properties in accordance with city or local regulations.

Passengers who wish to board the ferry with a bike share bike will be treated like any other cyclists and must disembark with the bike when they have reached their destination.

Terminal information

Anacortes: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic and proceed directly to passenger tollbooth inside terminal to purchase tickets. If passenger tollbooth is closed, go through the vehicle tollbooth. Terminal has one bike rack that holds 12 bikes. (Note: Late arrivals may not be loaded for the sailing on Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes. Please arrive 20 minutes before sailing to ensure boarding.)

Bainbridge Island: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the ferry dock and to the staging area at the east end of the dock. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. Terminal has two bike racks that hold 32 bikes.

Bremerton: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the ferry dock without stopping at tollbooth. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. Terminal has five bike racks that hold 28 bikes.

Clinton: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the ferry dock. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. Terminal has one bike rack that holds eight bikes.

Coupeville: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the ferry dock and go directly to the tollbooth. Approach the tollbooth window on the opposite side from vehicles. Terminal has one bike rack that holds six bikes.

Edmonds: Bypass the vehicle tollbooth and proceed directly to passenger tollbooth inside the terminal to purchase tickets. Terminal has no bike racks.

Fauntleroy: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get to the ferry dock. Secure bike and purchase tickets inside terminal (when open) or at vehicle tollbooth. Terminal has no bike racks.

Friday Harbor: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic and proceed directly to terminal. There is no payment required for passengers. The terminal has bike racks near the terminal along Front Street. (Note: Late arrivals may not be loaded for the sailing on Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes. Please arrive 20 minutes before sailing to ensure boarding.)

Kingston: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get into the ferry holding lane. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. Terminal has one bike rack that holds eight bikes.

Lopez Island: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the ferry dock. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. Terminal has one bike rack that holds eight bikes. (Note: Late arrivals may not be loaded for the sailing on Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes. Please arrive 20 minutes before sailing to ensure boarding.)

Mukilteo: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic, purchase tickets at a tollbooth, then use the green bike lane to the staging area provided near the terminal’s maintenance building. Terminal has no bike racks.

Orcas Island: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get into the ferry holding lanes at the lower dock. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. Terminal has two bike racks that hold 16 bikes. (Note: Late arrivals may not be loaded for the sailing on Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes. Please arrive 20 minutes before sailing to ensure boarding.)

Point Defiance: Bypass the vehicle tollbooth and proceed to the lower ferry dock to purchase tickets at the passenger tollbooth inside the terminal building. Terminal has no bike racks.

Port Townsend: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic and proceed directly to vehicle tollbooth to purchase tickets. Terminal has one bike rack that holds 12 bikes.

Seattle: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the ferry dock and proceed to bicycle tollbooth adjacent to the vehicle tollbooths. Terminal has six bike racks that hold 150 bikes under the terminal building.

Shaw Island: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic and proceed directly to the ferry dock. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. There is one bike rack that holds eight bikes. (Note: Late arrivals may not be loaded for the sailing on Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes. Please arrive 20 minutes before sailing to ensure boarding.)

Sidney: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to enter the terminal area and follow the pedestrian/bike path to the combined vehicle and passenger tollbooth. Proceed to the Customs and Immigration building after purchasing ticket. Bike passengers will be loaded last and offloaded first in Friday Harbor. Please arrive at least 45 minutes prior to sailing to ensure boarding.

Southworth: Bypass the line of traffic. All Vashon-bound bicyclists must stop at the vehicle tollbooth to purchase tickets (tickets are redeemed at Vashon terminal). Fauntleroy-bound bicyclists may continue down to the front of the dock, bypassing the booth. There is no payment required for passengers traveling to Fauntleroy. Terminal has one bike rack that holds eight bikes.

Tahlequah: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic to get onto the ferry dock. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. Terminal has no bike racks.

Vashon: Bypass the line of vehicle traffic and proceed directly to the ferry dock. Bicyclists should queue near the terminal building unless otherwise directed. There is no payment required for passengers departing from this terminal. Terminal has one bike rack that holds eight bikes.