KINGSTON — Washington State Ferries hopes the comments it receives next week from North End users of the Kingston and Bainbridge Island ferry terminals will help the agency prepare for a projected 70 percent increase in ferry ridership by the year 2030.

As part of its effort to get input on its long-range plan for such changes, WSF will be hosting a public meeting at 6 p.m. April 26 at the Kingston Cove Yacht Club.

One of the agency’s primary goals for the North End is to alleviate traffic on Bainbridge Island by improving service at its other terminals.

Use of the Edmonds/Kingston route is projected to grow by 89 percent by 2030 and it is one of the routes tasked with helping divert growth traffic from Bainbridge, especially vehicles headed for the Olympic Peninsula.

Because any vessel class can operate the route, from the largest Jumbo ferries to the smaller vessels, according to the draft plan, WSF aims to expand the variety of boats used on the route, such as operating four 144-car vessels in the fall, winter and spring by 2023. During summer months, one of the 144-car boats would be replaced by a 188-car Jumbo class ferry to meet the increased demand.

Other highlighted changes include:

• Seattle-Bainbridge Route: WSF plans to expand seating capacity on the Bainbridge Island vessels in 2019 to accommodate the projected increase in walk-on passengers.

• Edmonds-Kingston Route: WSF plans to add a third boat in the summer of 2009. The vessel will operate year-round in 2012 and a fourth boat will be added in 2023.

• Seattle-Kingston Passenger-Only Ferry: The plan assumes that an entity other than WSF, such as a public-private partnership agency, will operate a Seattle-Kingston passenger-only route by 2030, based on a directive from the state Legislature earlier this year that WSF will not be in the POF business after 2007.

Also based on the results of a ridership analysis, the fares for the POF would need to be no more than twice the amount of the WSF Central Sound fares “to draw the necessary ridership away from the Seattle-Bainbridge route,” according to the plan.

The agency is encouraging residents to ask questions and provide comments to help with the preparation of the final long range strategic plan. E-mail WSF at wsfplanning@wsdot.wa.gov or call Hadley Greene at (206) 515-3913. For full details on these plans, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/planning.