Visitors to Lopez Island will get a break this Fourth of July.
Washington State Ferries is offering free parking at the Anacortes terminal July 3 through 7 and the Lopez Island Chamber of Commerce is providing free shuttle bus service from the Lopez ferry landing to Lopez Village and the south end of the island.
The bus, chartered from Friendly Isle Charters by the chamber, will meet all ferries arriving from Anacortes between 10:55 a.m. and 9:50 p.m. July 3-5, and all ferries leaving for Anacortes between 8:55 a.m. and 8:25 p.m. The bus, which will accommodate wheelchairs and bicycles, will also pick up passengers from the 6:00 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. ferry arrivals on July 2. Early morning and late evening arrivals and departures will be added if needed.
Stops will include Lopez Village (specifically the water tower in Village Park) and the corner of Mud Bay and Mackaye Harbor roads, at the island’s south end. Jay Brant, owner and operator of Friendly Isle Charters, says he will shuttle visitors to and from other points as time allows.
The bus will do extra duty on July 4; late-night transportation to the ferry from the village after the fireworks display is planned.
“This is the first time we have tried something like this on Lopez and we are hoping people take advantage of the opportunity to save money, gas and free up car space on the already crowded ferries,” said Becky Smith of the chamber. “Locals already have vehicles on-island and can provide transportation once friends and family arrive – our bus will meet the ferries and get them to/from the drop-off locations.”
Smith continued, “In the past, the Fourth of July has been a huge holiday for our businesses. For the past few years attendance has been down and part of the reason may have been the over-crowded ferries and long lines. When the Washigton State Ferries said they were going to offer free parking for the long weekend, the chamber decided it was a great opportunity to support our local businesses by encouraging a way for people to come and avoid the ferry lines. Friendly Isle Charters is a new island business and chamber member, so we began working with him on this idea. It’s a great way to reduce the number of vehicles coming to the island but increase the number of people who attend. We see it as a great community service as well.”
The chamber is not charging a fee for shuttle transportation, but encourages riders to contribute a donation. For more information, please call the Lopez Chamber at 468-4664 or visit www.lopezisland.com.
