Additional ferry to Point Roberts added on Fridays to meet pandemic demand

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (NEWS 1130) — The Port of Bellingham is planning to increase ferry services to Point Roberts, noting demand for the existing service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Port of Bellingham and Whatcom Transportation Authority provide a free, short-term, passenger-only transportation service from Point Roberts to Blaine every Tuesday.

Officials with the Port say they will add a sailing between the isolated enclave and Bellingham on Fridays and will use a larger boat, expected to carry 80 passangers, rather than the 40-seater, which is currently sailing the route on Tuesdays.

Debate has been growing about ways to allow give the people of Point Roberts access to Washington State’s mainland, as the only land access to the small spit of land is through the Lower Mainland.

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On Wednesday, U.S. lawmakers urged the Canadian government to ease COVID-19 border restrictions for Point Roberts residents.

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, who represents the area, and a colleague have signed a letter sent to Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, asking for special border exemptions for the roughly 1,300 residents of Point Roberts — a peninsula off Delta, in Washington state.

The letter says the guidance given to border agents has been inconsistently interpreted, and some people trying to travel to the U.S. mainland for groceries, doctors’ appointments, or family visits have been turned away.

They are pushing for special exemptions or greater transparency when it comes to changes in border policy or extensions to the border shutdown.

The U.S.-Canada border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Sept. 21.