Washington State Ferries says ridership dropped by one-tenth of one percent last year when it carried more than 22 million passengers.

The planning director for the agency, Ray Deardorf, says ridership is stable.

The Kitsap Sun reports ( http://bit.ly/Yi6xFB) ridership has fallen 17 percent since 1999. The state has raised fares 20 percent since then in response to a drop in revenue due to cuts in the car tab tax.

The Seattle-Bainbridge run is the busiest route, carrying 27 percent of the fleet's riders. Mukilteo-Clinton is the second-busiest route, followed by Edmonds-Kingston.

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Information from: Kitsap Sun, http://www.kitsapsun.com/