Edmonds police to conduct emphasis patrols on ferry line cutters

Officers with the Edmonds Police Department said they will be conducting emphasis patrols to address ferry line cutters Friday.

Between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, Edmonds police officers will be partnering with the Washington State Patrol and looking for drivers cutting into the ferry lanes. Violators face a $139 fine.

“We’ve had way too many traffic complaints turn into road rage situations there,” the department said in a statement.

Kathy Mesa with Washington State Ferries reports lane cutting is an issue at all terminals, but most complaints come out of Edmonds.

“It especially gets really bad when we have tourists join our ferry system for the season,” said Mesa. “They’re unaware of the ferry line, where it starts so they’ll cut in line and not know about it.”

Commander Josh McClure with Edmonds Police says within the last few weeks there was one arrest for an assault that started with ferry line cutting.

“We get ferry line cutting calls almost daily,” said McClure. “We have had five to ten road rage calls about it this year, where drivers have gotten out of their cars to confront each other.”

Motivated by an influx of violators, the ferry system pivoted in the fall of 2021 from education to enforcement. Previously, line-cutting witnesses could call a hotline to report.

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