Bremerton-based Art Anderson Associates has contracted with the Whatcom County Public Works Department to provide comprehensive planning, design and management services in the upgrade of the Lummi Island Ferry.

The contract is the result of Whatcom County studies that show a need for a new ferry vessel and pertinent terminal and upland facilities improvements. The existing ferry is over forty years old and is not large enough to meet demand during peak periods. The heavy demand has generated long and unpredictable waits. An increasing Lummi Island population indicates that heavy demand will continue, making a system upgrade imperative.

The Lummi Island Ferry is owned and operated by the Whatcom County Public Works Department. The system transported over 224,000 passengers in 2001, an increase of about 22 percent since 1991. Lummi Island is home to almost 900 permanent residents and its population swells to over a thousand during the summer months. The Lummi Island Ferry is the only public mainland link for island residents.