Is Kitsap County’s passenger-only ferry worth the investment?
Jul 19, 2018, 7:02 AM
(Contributed/Kitsap Transit)
(Contributed/Kitsap Transit)
The risky experiment of running passenger-only ferry service from Kitsap County to Seattle is now a year old. Has it been worth the investment?
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A narrow 51 percent of Kitsap County voters approved the 3 tenths of one percent sales tax increase to fund the service in November 2016. Service began July 10, 2017.
The $48 million in startup costs and approximately $11 million a year to operate when fully operational was a big financial gamble for the county. The 30-minute trip between Bremerton and Seattle is half the time it takes on a state ferry. Through the first year, it appears Kitsap County commuters like the option.
More than 250,000 people used the ferry in the first year. Considering the boat only holds 118 people, that’s a good start.
“We’re averaging about 98 percent capacity in the afternoon and 93 percent capacity on the sailings in the morning,” Kitsap Transit Executive Director John Clauson said. “We’re very pleased with how it’s been accepted.
Clauson admitted there were problems with the launch. More than 100 sailings were canceled in the first three months of operations due to a problem with the engine’s ventilation system. There have been dock and weather cancellations since, but the service is becoming more reliable.
“Once we discovered the primary cause of the mechanical issues, I think we’ve pretty much put that behind us,” Clauson said.
There are also some nagging issues with the reservation system that Clauson said they are still working on.
Service between Kingston and Seattle was expected to start this summer, but the agency is still retrofitting the boat. It should be ready by the end of September, offering a 35-minute trip across Puget Sound.
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“While we’re working on the vessel, we have struck a lease agreement with the Port of Kingston, and the port is moving forward and accomplished quite a lot to the refurbishment of the docking facilities,” Clauson said. “We’re excited to get that service up and running.”
Service to Southworth is expected to start in 2020.
