More than 1,500 passengers rode the Harbor Hopper walk-on ferry between Everett and Langley this summer. Now the Port of Everett wants to know what residents think before deciding whether to bring it back.

The Port of Everett and Port of South Whidbey opened a public survey on Oct. 6 to collect feedback on the pilot program's debut season, according to a Port of Everett press release. The survey closes Nov. 6 and is open to riders and non-riders alike on the Port of Everett's website.

Responses will help the two ports decide whether to continue the service and shape details like operating days, sailing times and rider experience, the Port said. Respondents can enter to win a gift certificate to a restaurant on the Everett or Langley waterfront.

The Harbor Hopper launched June 4 as a chartered run on the 45-passenger Hat Island Ferry, connecting the Port of Everett Marina to South Whidbey Harbor at Langley in roughly 35 minutes. Fares ranged from $10 to $12 one-way and $16 to $20 roundtrip. The ferry ran on select Thursdays and Saturdays through Aug. 29.

Ridership picked up after the ports added a third, midday sailing on Saturdays starting Aug. 1. That change, announced July 27, came in response to what Catherine Soper, the Port of Everett's chief of business development and tourism, called "overwhelming community feedback." The midday option more than doubled average occupancy compared to June and July, as first reported by the Lynnwood Times.

"You asked, we listened," Soper said in the July 27 announcement. "We have been blown away by the interest and enthusiasm behind this pilot program."

The pilot was a partnership between the Port of Everett, Port of South Whidbey and Hat Island Ferry. Sponsors included Whidbey Telecom and dockside partners Fisherman Jack's, The Muse Whiskey & Coffee, and Callahan's Firehouse Studio & Gallery. The program tested demand for a permanent passenger-only ferry link between the two port districts.

The Port of Everett's Waterfront Place, where the ferry departed from Dock 1 behind Anthony's HomePort, drew more than 1.8 million visitors in 2025, according to the Port.

No timeline has been announced for when survey results will be released or when a decision on future service will be made.