Essay from the year 2010 in the subject Transportation Science & Technology, Seattle Pacific University, language: English, abstract: Ferries have played a crucial role in transportation around the Puget Sound, centered on the Seattle metropolis, since the first settlers arrived in the region. The natural water locked geography of the region necessitates such means of transportation. Ferries have evolved throughout the decades, and to the surprise of some, continue to serve an integral, irreplaceable role in the transportation structure of the city of Seattle. They have grown from canoes capable of transporting 30-100 people to massive "superferries" that today can carry thousands of passengers across the Sound in relative comfort and speed. This section will chronicle the development of the ferry system as an integral part of transportation and a key component of the infrastructure of the Puget Sound region from their conception until present.