Seattle-Bremerton foot ferry opening to speed up commute
Jul 5, 2017, 2:38 PM | Updated: Jul 6, 2017, 6:36 pm
(Kitsap Transit)
(Kitsap Transit)
Passenger-only ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle doesn’t begin until Monday, but Wednesday is the grand unveiling of the fast ferry with an appearance by Governor Jay Inslee
“We are going to be running, basically, three round trips in the morning, three round trips in the evening, Monday through Friday,” said John Clauson with Kitsap Transit. “On Saturday, we’ll have an all-day schedule that will go later into the evening.”
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Unlike the current ferry system, the Bremerton foot ferry will only carry walk-on passengers — no cars. The trip will cut the average crossing time in half compared to the larger ferries. For example, the Bremerton-Seattle run will take about 30 minutes. It will cost $2 to ride from Bremerton, and $10 from Seattle. The ferry will run to Pier 50 in Seattle, right next to Colman Dock where the larger ferries already connect.
“Folks will be able to reserve space on the boat,” Clauson said. “There will be segment of the vessel set aside for walk up on a first-come-first-serve basis. About 75 percent of the vessel will be available for reservations.”
There are 118 seats on the Bremerton foot ferry. Clauson said that Kitsap Transit would like passengers with reservations to show up about 10 minutes prior to departure, otherwise, they may start giving those spots to walk-up passengers. Riders are not required to pay for their ticket when they reserve a spot.
Kitsap County voters approved a 0.3 percent sales tax increase in November for an ambitious ferry system operated by Kitsap Transit. Clauson notes there are many realtors in Kitsap expecting the ferry service to increase demand for homes on the peninsula. The ferries will allow those new residents to commute to Seattle over the water instead of a snarled highway.
Kitsap Transit will eventually expand the system to run passenger ferries between Seattle and Kingston. The Seattle Times reports that no more than 12 bicycles will be allowed on each sailing. No electric bikes are allowed.
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