"The City of Anacortes is excited about the opportunity to promote this discount and bring back the RV tourist to this great State Ferry route", says Ian Munce, Director of Planning for the City of Anacortes, which is spending hotel-motel tax dollars to promote the ferry route. "By removing the overheight component of the fare, we feel confident we can attract tourists driving recreational vehicles back to the most scenic route to and from Canada. Other ferry systems traveling to Victoria (Vancouver Island) were significantly cheaper than Washington State Ferries because of the overheight surcharge. But not anymore. Now we can compete."

The international route was exempted from the Tariff Route Equity policy that determines rates based on route distance that was started in 2001 and the system began to charge based on market conditions. Based on competitive prices, the Tariff Policy Committee reviewed the financial implications and the space available on this route and determined that the market conditions would point to removing the overheight surcharge. This promotional rate does not apply to commercial trucks.