The Des Moines City Council’s May 21, 2026 meeting brought critical infrastructure and public safety updates to the forefront, highlighted by a comprehensive evaluation of the 2022 passenger ferry pilot program and an update on local law enforcement’s adaptation to new state surveillance laws.
Councilmembers heard a data-driven consultant report suggesting that regional transit investments should pivot toward the newly available Link light rail rather than a costly ferry service.
Additionally, Police Chief Ted Boe outlined the department’s swift compliance measures regarding House Bill 6002, detailing how recent strictures on automated license plate readers have reshaped the city’s camera placements and data retention policies.
2022 Passenger Ferry Pilot Evaluation
For the past nine months, a grant-funded consulting team has been evaluating the pilot ferry program with an eye to the possibility of bringing it back. According to the presentation, the success of any public transit venture depends largely on population density. It also requires that the transit goes to the places, and at the times, that people want to travel. This team looked at where people in Des Moines travel each day, and what times of day they are making those trips.
Most of the travel is to Southcenter and SeaTac, with many also heading to Kent, Auburn, and Federal Way. The great majority of trips for Des Moines residents are for non-commute purposes at all times of day, with many just going to other locations within the city. Fewer than 50 trips a day were found to be heading to Seattle.
The 2022 passenger ferry pilot program ran throughout the summer, for five days each week excluding Mondays and Tuesdays. It ran from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., bringing passengers between Des Moines and downtown Seattle. The limited days and hours of operation made it difficult for utilization by commuters.
The ferry was run at a total cost of $793,696, plus consulting fees, and brought in a total of $89,456 in fare revenue. The $10 fare was discounted for seniors and military, amounting to a total revenue per passenger of $6.28– while the cost to provide the ferry was $46.70 per passenger. Each trip across the water cost $2,205. A long-term ferry operation would need to maintain a spare boat, incurring additional storage costs.
Service days and hours would need to be expanded to meet commuter needs for long term sustainability. While ridership was high during the popular pilot program, the novelty factor goes away after a limited duration. Meeting commuter needs would be essential to any sustainable program.
The ferry pilot program happened years before the light rail was running, and commuters now have a cheap, fast, and reliable way of traveling to Seattle. Link light rail operates every 8 minutes, and costs $3 per ride. The ferry, with a 2-hour wait time and much higher cost even when heavily subsidized, would not appeal to most commuters.
Now that light rail exists, presenters made it clear that investing in ways of traveling to and from the Link station more easily would provide more benefit to residents. Bike lanes, sidewalks, and buses that bring people to the light rail station would increase ease of ridership.
Councilmember JC Harris responded enthusiastically to this information, saying it was the third-best presentation he’d ever seen and he hadn’t even voted to do the study. On the other hand, Councilmember Harry Steinmetz said he appreciated the presentation but thought they had come to the incorrect conclusion. He said of course no one commutes to Seattle at present because there hasn’t been a great way of getting there. He also argued that public transit never recoups its actual costs.
Presenters countered that this program would need a higher level of subsidy than transit projects generally do, and that the people of Des Moines are really looking for more connections within the city, to places like downtown Des Moines and the marina.
Chief Boe On Flock Cameras
Chief Ted Boe shared how the department has responded to House Bill 6002, which puts constraints on the use of automated license plate readers. The bill went into effect Mar. 30, under an emergency order that made it effective immediately. According to Boe, police throughout the state had already been working on ways to ensure compliance before it passed. Boe added that local officers have been receiving tons of new training on compliance.
Some cities have mobile license plate readers in their police cars, which make it difficult to avoid using in areas that are now off-limits. Those cities have had to decommission their mobile readers. However, Des Moines never used that technology. The city has had 15 active, stationary cameras since 2022. With the passage of HB 6002, two of those were decommissioned due to their location. One was near a place of worship, and the other near a pharmacy.
Chief Boe said it’s been hard to find a new location for both cameras that fit the new state requirements, but they have found a spot for one of them. Councilmember Harris asked about cameras along school bus routes, which some members of the public have said were now illegal. Boe responded that the bill is very clear, and it does not limit license plate readers along school bus routes.
Cam images are now harder for the police to use, requiring officers to submit an active case number before they have access. In addition, all footage not involved in an active investigation is now deleted in 21 days, giving less time to access the system after crimes are reported.
The bill requires all camera locations to be registered with the Attorney General (AG); however, the AG has not yet set up a portal for departments to register at. Chief Boe said he has contacted the AG and is ready to comply with this requirement as soon as it is possible to do so.
