March 25, 2024
Guemes Island Ferry to Transition to Electronic Ticketing System
Skagit County is excited to announce the launch of a new electronic ferry ticketing system provided by Anchor Operating Systems. Anchor has experience working with premiere ferry systems to provide mobile ticketing systems across the country including Pierce County Ferries, San Francisco Bay Ferry, NYC Ferry, Fisher Island Ferry, and many more.
Starting June 6, 2024, residents will have the convenience of pre-purchasing ferry tickets on Skagit County’s website using Anchor’s user-friendly and mobile-ready platform. Upon purchase of your ticket(s), you will receive a QR code to simplify boarding procedures. The QR code can be scanned at the ferry terminal on your mobile device, or you can print your tickets after purchase.
For those who prefer in-person transactions, tickets will still be available at the ferry office in Anacortes, located within the main lobby of the terminal building. Acceptable forms of payment at the ferry terminal include credit, debit, and contactless options such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Cash is not accepted at the ferry terminal; however, in-person cash payments for ferry tickets are accepted at the Skagit County Administration Building, located at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, during business hours.
For more information on the transition to electronic ticketing, please visit our webpage.
The Skagit County Commissioners will host a televised work session on Monday, April 8th, at 2:30pm for a presentation on the new mobile ticketing software, schedule for beta testing, and future opportunities for the public to provide feedback on the new software. Work sessions can be watched in-person in the Commissioner’s Hearing Room at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, or via TV21 and Zoom on the Commissioner’s webpage .
Join the Beta Testing Team
We are looking for beta testers to test the new electronic ticketing system in the month of April. Our ideal test user group will encompass various ticket-purchasing scenarios, including punch cards, single-ride tickets, oversize vehicle tickets, and commercial users managing drivers’ tickets. We will select specific riders which meet our criteria on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Skagit County staff are looking for the following criteria for beta testers:
- Ride the ferry at least twice per week.
- Willingness to purchase tickets online during the test period.
- Commitment to providing feedback through surveys and/or a meeting with staff over Zoom.
Electronic punch cards purchased during testing will be valid for 90 days and single ride tickets will be valid for through May 19, 2024. Electronic ticket costs are the same as current ticket prices. Punch cards purchased during testing can still be used after the test period ends until they expire.
If you are interested in joining the beta testing team, please email ferrycomments@co.skagit.wa.us with the following details:
- Your name, address, and preferred contact information
- Frequency of ferry rides
- Details on your preferred ticket types – single tickets, punch cards, over-size vehicles etc.
- Types of devices or browsers you will use during testing.
- On your computer – Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox etc.
- On your mobile device – Apple or Android.
The deadline for beta testing sign-up is April 8th at midnight. Selections will be made and communicated to applicants via email by Thursday, April 11th. Thank you for your willingness to help during this transition!
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