Kitsap Fast Ferries

Last updated

Kitsap Fast Ferries
Kitsap Fast Ferries logo.png
Rich Passage 1, Bremerton - July 2017.jpg
Rich Passage 1 in Bremerton, prior to the start of ferry service
Locale Kitsap County, Washington
Waterway Puget Sound
Transit type Passenger ferry
Operator Kitsap Transit
Began operationJuly 10, 2017 (2017-07-10)
No. of lines3
No. of vessels9
No. of terminals4
Yearly ridership1,091,400 (2023) [1]
Website kitsaptransit.com/fastferry

Kitsap Fast Ferries is a passenger ferry service operating between Seattle and Kitsap County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is funded and operated by Kitsap Transit and began service in July 2017, with a single boat traveling between Seattle and Bremerton. A second route, from Seattle to Kingston, launched in November 2018, and a third route serving Seattle and Southworth began operating in March 2021. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,091,400. [1]

Contents

The passenger-only ferry service, approved by voters in 2016, was preceded by one operated by Washington State Ferries between 1986 and 2003. This state-run system ceased operations after a class-action lawsuit forced its vessels to slow down when traveling through Rich Passage to reduce wake damage. Kitsap Transit briefly operated its own passenger ferries from 2004 to 2007, but failed to receive voter approval for two sales tax funding measures. The agency commissioned a low-wake vessel, Rich Passage 1, which was used from 2011 to 2012 for research and trial runs that determined it could operate at high speeds without creating a damaging wake.

History

Earlier ferry services

During the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Puget Sound region was served by a variety of passenger steamship ferries known collectively as the "mosquito fleet". Some of these routes connected Kitsap County to docks in Seattle, eventually replaced by automobile-and-passenger ferry service operated by the Puget Sound Navigation Company, which became the state-operated Washington State Ferries system in 1951. [2]

Washington State Ferries began exploring passenger-only ferry service between Seattle and Bremerton, Southworth and Vashon in the mid-1980s to help ease auto ferry traffic and quicken passenger commutes. [3] A 400-passenger catamaran was leased from a private tour operator in 1985 for trial runs and began passenger service on October 15, 1986, serving the Seattle–Bremerton route. [4] [5] The $2.5 million ferry, known as the MV Express (later renamed MV Tyee), made the run in 38 minutes and averaged 28 to 29 miles per hour (45 to 47 km/h); though it failed to carry enough passengers to meet state expectations in its early months, it steadily grew to 22,000 monthly riders in 1989. [6] [7]

Operating funds for the ferry system, reliant on gas taxes raised by the state, were left out of the 1989 budget because of a dispute in the state government. As a result, the MV Tyee and two additional passenger-only ferries intended to serve Vashon Island were pulled from service in June 1989. [7] The three ferries were loaned to the San Francisco Bay Area after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake left the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge closed for repairs. [8] [9] In January 1990, the ferries returned to the Seattle area, [10] and began regular passenger service on April 23, 1990. [11]

By July 1990, however, the ferries were voluntarily slowed from 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) to 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) while passing through Sinclair Inlet and Rich Passage, on the approach to Bremerton, after shoreline residents complained of erosion and other damage from the wakes created by the faster ferries. [12] [13] The MV Chinook debuted in 1998 to replace the MV Tyee, incorporating a lightweight body and water-jet engines designed to create a smaller wake at high speeds. [14] In March 1999, a group of 113 Rich Passage residents filed a class-action lawsuit against Washington State Ferries, seeking restitution for damaged waterfront properties that had been affected by wakes from the MV Chinook. [15] [16] An injunction from the King County Superior Court in July forced the ferries to slow to 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) in Rich Passage, adding an extra 10 to 15 minutes to the Seattle–Bremerton run. [17] In March 2000, the Washington State Supreme Court lifted the injunction, allowing the MV Chinook and sister vessel MV Snohomish to operate at high speeds by May. [18] [19] Washington State Ferries voluntarily slowed the two vessels to 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) in October 2001, after concluding in an environmental study that the ferries were causing significant beach erosion in a small section of Rich Passage. [20] The lawsuit was settled in April 2002, with the state paying $4.5 million and limiting ferry speeds to 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). [15]

The voter approval of Initiative 695 in 1999, which eliminated the motor vehicle excise tax used to fund ferry service, cut $93 million from the ferry system's budget by the end of 2001. [21] Voter rejection of 2002's Referendum 51, which would have funded the replacement of car ferries with a gas tax, led the state to consider eliminating passenger-only service to Bremerton and Vashon Island to make up for the shortfall. [22] [23] In May 2003, the state legislature approved cuts to ferry service, including the elimination of passenger-only ferries. [24] Passenger-only ferry service ceased operations on September 20, 2003, [25] and the MV Chinook and MV Snohomish were sold in 2008 to Golden Gate Ferries in the San Francisco Bay Area after an unsuccessful auction on eBay. [26] [27]

Kitsap Transit trials

Prior to the cessation of passenger-only service in 2003, the state legislature passed a bill allowing non-state entities to operate their own public or private ferries near Washington State Ferries routes. [28] Kitsap Transit, a public transit agency serving Kitsap County with bus service, decided to place a 0.3 percent sales tax increase and motor vehicle excise tax on the November 2003 ballot to fund a passenger-only ferry service to replace the state-run ferries. [29] The ballot measure was rejected by 61 percent of voters, with support mostly coming from Bainbridge Island, downtown Bremerton, and Kingston. [30] [31]

Kitsap Transit instead partnered with private operators the following year, [32] launching a Seattle–Bremerton route operated by Kitsap Ferry Company in August 2004. [33] The new ferry service, traveling 40 minutes between the two terminals, struggled to attract riders in its early months, but grew from 200 daily passengers to 500 by the following May. [34] [35] Under the agreement, Kitsap Transit leased the ferry for $32,000 per month and paid for docking fees and fuel with local and federal grants. [35] [36]

The private ferry struggled to operate at a profit, leading Kitsap Transit to consider a new ballot measure to fund a public passenger-only ferry service. [37] A 0.3 percent sales tax was placed on the February 6, 2007, ballot, and was rejected by 54.5 percent of voters. [38] [39] As a result, Kitsap Transit pulled its funding for the private Kitsap Ferry Company, and the company suspended service on March 30, 2007. [40] Another private operator, Aqua Express, had already ceased operations of a passenger-only service from Kingston to Seattle after a few months in 2005 due to poor ridership and increasing fuel costs. [41] [42]

As part of the study, Kitsap Transit commissioned the construction of a $5.3 million, foil-assisted catamaran designed for low wakes, in 2009. [43] The 118-passenger, 78-foot-long (24 m) vessel, named Rich Passage 1, was built in Bellingham by All American Marine and uses a lightweight composite body and hydrofoil to reduce weight and minimize wake. [44] During the vessel's sea trials near Bellingham in 2010, it lost its hydrofoil during high-speed operation, setting the project back until a new hydrofoil was rebuilt in 2011. [45] [46] Testing in Kitsap County began in October 2011, [47] and a passenger service trial was conducted in summer 2012. [48] Rich Passage 1 performed 35-minute crossings between Bremerton and Seattle, traveling through Rich Passage at 38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph) and the rest of the route at 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) to reduce fuel consumption; the vessel reportedly created a wake "half that" from a larger automobile ferry and was found to have successfully operated without damaging beaches and bulkheads during full-speed tests. [49] [50] The passenger service did not attract expected ridership, blamed on the $7 fare without monthly passes, leading Kitsap Transit to consider a sales tax to subsidize service. [51]

Operating costs for Rich Passage 1 were funded by federal grants as part of the study, but expired at the end of the passenger service trial in 2012. As a result, the vessel spent several years in out-of-water storage, with the exception of infill trips for Washington State Ferries routes and periodic test runs. During one of the infill trips, the ferry ran aground near Port Hadlock in January 2013, [52] and was later damaged by a small fire while in storage in Port Townsend. [53]

Ballot measure and service

M/V Finest at the Kingston ferry terminal, 2018 MV Finest at Kingston on opening day.jpg
M/V Finest at the Kingston ferry terminal, 2018

In 2015, Kitsap Transit drafted a business plan for a "fast ferry" system serving Bremerton, Kingston, and Southworth from Seattle, funded by a local sales tax and fares. [54] The Kitsap Transit board voted in April 2016 to place a 0.3 percent sales tax on the November 2016 ballot that would fund a three-route passenger-only ferry system to begin operation in 2017. [55] The ballot measure, the third overall on passenger-only ferries in Kitsap County, [56] was approved by 51.7 percent of voters on November 8, 2016, with the collection of sales taxes to begin the following April. [57] [58] In June 2017, Kitsap Transit finalized its operating plans, including a revision to initially operate the system itself as it continues to negotiate an operating contract with the King County Department of Transportation, and announced that service would begin on July 10, 2017. [59]

Kitsap Fast Ferries service began on July 10, 2017, and fares were waived for the rest of the month. [60] Due to multiple and repeated issues with Rich Passage 1 in its first six months of service, causing delays or cancellations to ferry trips, Kitsap Transit began negotiations with King County to lease Spirit of Kingston as a backup vessel. [61] The Spirit of Kingston entered service in March during a week-long repair of Rich Passage 1, but was recalled by King County for use on the West Seattle Water Taxi. [62] [63]

The Kingston route began service on November 26, 2018, using MV Finest, a former NY Waterway catamaran acquired and refurbished by Kitsap Transit earlier in the year. [64] MV Melissa Ann was announced as the route's backup vessel. Two new bus routes also launched to connect the Kingston ferry terminal to park and rides in Poulsbo and Suquamish, as well as an on-demand service. [65] [66]

The Southworth route began service on March 29, 2021, [67] having been delayed several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The MV Enetai was commissioned to operate the route with capacity for 255 passengers. [68] [69] The Southworth terminal shares the existing one-slip facility used by Washington State Ferries, with coordinated departure times around ferry runs. [70]

Future plans

In March 2023, Kitsap Transit selected Pier 48 as their preferred site for a new passenger ferry terminal in Downtown Seattle due to expected overcrowding of the existing Pier 50 facility shared with the King County Water Taxi. The site is south of Colman Dock and Pier 50 and was formerly used by Washington State Ferries as overflow for vehicles queueing. [71]

An electric hydrofoil ferry is planned to be tested on the Bremerton route in the 2020s as part of a Kitsap Transit research program funded by the Federal Transit Administration. In 2024, the state government contributed $5.2 million towards construction of a 150-passenger hydrofoil ferry that would be designed by two local firms. [72] [73]

Service

The Bremerton–Seattle route began service on July 10, 2017. [60] It was followed by the Kingston route in November 2018 and the Southworth route in March 2021. [66] [70] All three routes charge a $2 eastbound fare and $10 westbound fare, offering monthly passes and PugetPasses for frequent passengers; reduced fare passengers are charged a $1 eastbound fare and $5 westbound fare. The regional ORCA card is accepted to pay one-way fares, along with exact cash and tokens. [74] The routes generally run during peak periods on weekdays and have additional trips on Saturdays during the summer season to cover gaps in Washington State Ferries sailings. [75]

The Bremerton–Seattle route uses an online reservation system that is able to book up to 88 of the 118 seats on a given trip, with walk-ons to fill the rest of the seats. [76] The route makes six daily round trips on weekdays and ten round trips on Saturdays, with no trips on Sundays. The journey takes an estimated 28 minutes, with an additional seven minutes for unloading and loading at each terminal. [77]

As part of the launch of fast ferry service in 2017, Kitsap Transit introduced new express bus service to the Bremerton terminal that is timed to ferry departures and arrivals. The routes connect Bremerton to Silverdale, Poulsbo, and East Bremerton. [78] Similar routes, including on-demand service, were also launched alongside the Kingston and Southworth fast ferries. [79]

Routes

Kitsap Fast Ferries routes
RouteOpenedTravel time [80] TerminiRidership
(2024) [81]
WesternEastern
Bremerton–SeattleJuly 10, 201730 minutes Bremerton Transportation Center Colman Dock (Pier 50)563,833
Kingston–SeattleNovember 26, 201840 minutes Kingston ferry terminal Colman Dock (Pier 50)113,390
Southworth–SeattleMarch 29, 202126 minutes Southworth ferry terminal Colman Dock (Pier 50)374,336

Vessels

Fast Ferries service began initially with a single boat, the 118-passenger Rich Passage 1, in 2017. The vessel is a catamaran designed to create a very low wake while operating at high speeds by employing a special foil. [82] A second boat of a similar design, MV Reliance, was delivered in April 2019 and is planned to serve as a backup for the Bremerton route. [77] The Reliance features the same hydrofoil design as Rich Passage 1, but was built lighter and with a less powerful engine to comply with federal emissions standards. [83] As of October 2016, the agency's plans called for the purchase of a 150-passenger catamaran for delivery in 2018, two 250-passenger bow loading catamarans for delivery in 2020 and 2021, and an additional 118-passenger high-speed, low-wake catamaran to be delivered in 2022. [82]

In 2017, Kitsap Transit purchased MV Finest, a 350-passenger ferry from NY Waterway. [84] The ferry was purchased and refurbished at a cost of $7.5 million at a shipyard on Whidbey Island and delivered to the agency in October 2018. [64] The ferry entered service in November 2018 on the Kingston route. [66] M/V Melissa Ann was leased as a backup vessel for M/V Finest on the Kingston run. [85] In February 2018, the agency ordered the two planned low-wake catamarans from All American Marine at a cost of $15 million. The new Rich Passage-class vessels, with quieter exhaust and HVAC systems, are expected to be delivered in early 2019 and operate on the Bremerton route. [86] The new vessels will be named after old Mosquito Fleet ships, including the Lady Swift, Illahee, Manette, Commander, Reliance, and Waterman. [87] MV Waterman, built in 2019, is the first hybrid ferry to be used in Puget Sound and has 150 seats. [88] In December 2018, the agency ordered two front-loading, 250-passenger vessels from Nichols Brothers Boat Builders for use on the Kingston and Southworth routes. [89] Kitsap Transit took delivery of the two vessels, named Enetai and Commander, in 2020 and 2021. [90]

Current fleet

Current fleet of Kitsap Fast Ferries [91]
Ferry NameYear BuiltCapacityLengthTop speed (knots)Notes
MV Rich Passage 1201111872 ft (22 m)38 kn (70 km/h; 44 mph)
MV Reliance201911875 ft (23 m)37 kn (69 km/h; 43 mph)
MV Finest 1996349114 ft (35 m)32 kn (59 km/h; 37 mph)Acquired in 2018
MV Lady Swift201911875 ft (23 m)37 kn (69 km/h; 43 mph)
MV Enetai2020250128 ft (39 m)37 kn (69 km/h; 43 mph)Bow-loading design
MV Commander2021250128 ft (39 m)37 kn (69 km/h; 43 mph)Bow-loading design
MV Solano2004350126 ft (38 m)32 kn (59 km/h; 37 mph)Acquired in 2021

Former vessels

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitsap County, Washington</span> County in Washington, United States

Kitsap County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 275,611. Its county seat is Port Orchard; its largest city is Bremerton. The county, formed out of King County and Jefferson County on January 16, 1857, is named for Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish Tribe. Originally named Slaughter County, it was soon renamed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Ferries</span> Public ferry service in Washington, US

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. The routes are designated as part of the state highway system. WSF maintains a fleet of 21 vessels that are able to carry passengers and vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitsap Transit</span> Local public transit operator in Kitsap County, Washington

Kitsap Transit is a public transit agency serving Kitsap County, Washington, part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The system is based in Bremerton and operates bus service on 40 fixed routes, a foot ferry, a vanpool system, worker-driver services, and dial-a-ride services. The Kitsap Fast Ferries are also operated by Kitsap Transit. In 2023, the system had a total ridership of 2,739,600 and over 8,000 passengers on an average weekday in 2022.

MV <i>Puyallup</i>

MV Puyallup is a Jumbo Mark-II-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. This ferry and her two sisters are the largest in the fleet. Puyallup is normally assigned to the Edmonds–Kingston route, although she is often reassigned to the Seattle–Bainbridge Island route whenever either of her sisters assigned to that route are out of service.

MV <i>Walla Walla</i> Jumbo class automobile ferry

MV Walla Walla is a Jumbo-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries.

MV <i>Cathlamet</i> Ship built in 1981

The MV Cathlamet is an Issaquah-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries.

MV <i>Sealth</i> Auto/passenger ferry operated by Washington State

The MV Sealth is a Issaquah-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. She is named for Chief Sealth. The Sealth underwent cabin rebuilding in last 2006, after which she was in service on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route. The Sealth was then the #2 vessel on the route. Earlier she was taken out of service due to a seam needing weld repairs.

MV <i>Kitsap</i>

MV Kitsap is an Issaquah-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. The Kitsap was built in 1980 as an Issaquah class and upgraded in 1992 moving it to the Issaquah 130 class due to adding an upper car deck. The vessel also received interior upgrades. The vessel used to have a rainbow color of blue, but has since been renovated with interior colors light, and dark blue, and dark green.

MV <i>Hyak</i> Retired ferryboat

The MV Hyak is a Super-class ferry that was operated by Washington State Ferries. Built in 1966 at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company shipyard in San Diego, the ferry began service on July 20, 1967, and normally ran on the Seattle–Bremerton route or the Anacortes–San Juan Islands run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King County Water Taxi</span> Passenger ferry service in King County, Washington

The King County Water Taxi is a passenger-only fast ferry service operated by the King County Metro Transit Department, Marine Division. It operates two routes between Downtown Seattle and West Seattle or Vashon Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puget Sound mosquito fleet</span> Private transportation companies in Puget Sound

The Puget Sound mosquito fleet was a multitude of private transportation companies running smaller passenger and freight boats on Puget Sound and nearby waterways and rivers. This large group of steamers and sternwheelers plied the waters of Puget Sound, stopping at every waterfront dock. The historical period defining the beginning and end of the mosquito fleet is ambiguous, but the peak of activity occurred between the First and Second World Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferries in Washington (state)</span> Overview of ferry transportation in the U.S. state of Washington

The U.S. state of Washington is home to a number of public and private ferry systems, most notably the state-run Washington State Ferries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 304</span> State highway in northwestern Washington, US

State Route 304 (SR 304) is a state highway in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It connects SR 3, a regional freeway, to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and downtown Bremerton. The designation of SR 304 continues onto the Seattle–Bremerton ferry operated by Washington State Ferries to Colman Dock in Downtown Seattle, terminating at SR 519 on Alaskan Way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonds–Kingston ferry</span> Ferry route in the U.S. state of Washington

The Edmonds–Kingston ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between Edmonds and Kingston, Washington. Since 1951 the only ferries employed on the route have belonged to the Washington state ferry system, currently the largest ferry system in the United States. The last regularly operated steam ferry on the West Coast of the United States made its final run on this route in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle–Bremerton ferry</span> Ferry route in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

The Seattle–Bremerton ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between Seattle and Bremerton, Washington. Since 1951, the route has primarily been operated by the state-run Washington State Ferries system, currently the largest ferry system in the United States. Kitsap Transit also runs passenger-only "fast ferries" service on the route.

MV <i>Spirit of Kingston</i> Passenger-only ferry running between Seattle and West Seattle

MVSpirit of Kingston is a 65-foot (20 m), 149 passenger passenger-only ferry owned and operated as part of the King County Water Taxi fleet.

<i>Carlisle II</i> Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet vessel

Carlisle II is the oldest of only two operational examples of a Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet vessel. They were once part of a large fleet of small passenger and freight carrying ships that linked the islands and ports of Puget Sound in Washington state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

MV <i>Melissa Ann</i> Passenger-only ferry

The Melissa Ann is a 77-foot (23 m), 172 passenger passenger-only ferry owned by Four Seasons Marine and operated by Kitsap Transit as part of the Kitsap Fast Ferries fleet.

MV <i>Rachel Marie</i> Ferry between Skagway and Haines Borough

The Rachel Marie is a 77-foot (23 m), 172 passenger-only ferry operating between Skagway and Haines Borough, Alaska.She is owned by Four Seasons Marine and part of the Haines Skagway Fast Ferry fleet.

MV <i>Finest</i>

MV Finest is an aluminum-hulled catamaran fast passenger ferry built at Derecktor Shipyards in 1997 for New York Fast Ferry Services. She is owned and operated by Kitsap Transit on a Seattle–Kingston route since 2018. Finest is a former NY Waterway vessel and at one point provided service from the Massachusetts mainland to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

References

  1. 1 2 "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ↑ Newnham, Blaine (August 9, 1992). "Passengers only: Water could be the way out of gridlock". The Seattle Times. p. 10. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  3. ↑ Gough, Bill (November 18, 1984). "Passenger ferry idea gets good reception". The Seattle Times. p. D20.
  4. ↑ Mahoney, Sally Gene (December 31, 1985). "Catamaran can tie knots around ferries; state may use boat for passenger service". The Seattle Times. p. D1.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Marshall (October 15, 1986). "Fleet ferry's first run slowed by fog". The Seattle Times. p. D1.
  6. ↑ Gough, William (November 24, 1986). "Empty seats on Sound's fast-lane ferry". The Seattle Times. p. B2.
  7. 1 2 Dietrich, Bill (July 1, 1989). "Foot passengers steaming because ferry isn't". The Seattle Times. p. A1.
  8. ↑ Whitely, Peyton (October 21, 1989). "Three state ferries head for Bay Area". The Seattle Times. p. A2.
  9. ↑ Dietrich, Bill (December 20, 1989). "In S.F., our boats are ferry well-received". The Seattle Times. p. A1.
  10. ↑ "3 ferries back home after helping out Bay Area". The Seattle Times. January 20, 1990. p. A10.
  11. ↑ Gough, William (April 22, 1990). "Afoot and afloat: Passenger-only ferries launch Sound service with pomp and fanfare". The Seattle Times. p. B2. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  12. ↑ Smith, Devin (June 28, 1990). "New ferries damaging shoreline, residents say". The Seattle Times. p. C12.
  13. ↑ "Ferries slow down in wake of complaints". The Seattle Times. July 6, 1990. p. B2.
  14. ↑ Schaefer, David (May 16, 1998). "Chinook: A ferry that feels airborne". The Seattle Times. p. A1.
  15. 1 2 Foster, George; Lange, Larry (April 2, 2002). "$4.5 million settlement slows fast ferry". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  16. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (March 10, 1999). "Rich Passage: Beach dwellers sue ferries". The Sun . Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  17. ↑ Burkitt, Janet (July 27, 1999). "Injunction slows down high-speed passenger ferry". The Seattle Times. p. B6.
  18. ↑ Dunagan, Christopher (March 17, 2000). "Fast ferries free to fly". The Sun. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  19. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (May 10, 2000). "Ferries: Rich Passage residents wait, hope for best". The Sun. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  20. ↑ Garber, Andrew (August 31, 2001). "Ferry system to slow boats blamed for shore erosion". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  21. ↑ George, Hunter T. (December 16, 1999). "State ferry system faces major cuts". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. p. B3.
  22. ↑ Gilmore, Susan (December 19, 2002). "Passenger-only ferries may end; Elimination of other runs also proposed in overhaul of state system's finances". The Seattle Times. p. A1.
  23. ↑ Kitsap Transit Passenger-Only Ferry Business Plan and Long Range Strategy Appendices (PDF) (Report). Kitsap Transit. January 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Kitsap Transit chief checks out N.Y. ferry". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Associated Press. May 26, 2003. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  25. ↑ Labossiere, Regine (September 20, 2003). "Send-off serenade for passenger-only ferry". The Seattle Times. p. B2. Archived from the original on September 22, 2003. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  26. ↑ "2 passenger ferries sold in California". The Seattle Times. November 26, 2008. p. B5.
  27. ↑ Yardley, William (November 18, 2007). "For Sale From Puget Sound: 2 Fixer-Upper Ferries". The New York Times . p. 123. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  28. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (April 24, 2003). "Locke signs Transit's ferry bill". The Sun. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  29. ↑ King, Niki (July 9, 2003). "Agency to put passenger ferry tax increases on Nov. 4 ballot". The Sun. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  30. ↑ King, Niki (November 5, 2003). "Scuttled". The Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  31. ↑ King, Niki (December 8, 2003). "Ferries foundered away from docks". The Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  32. ↑ King, Niki (March 3, 2004). "Foot ferry service takes step forward". The Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  33. ↑ King, Niki (August 3, 2004). "Footing it to Seattle, Again". The Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  34. ↑ King, Niki (November 2, 2004). "Bremerton foot ferry slow to catch on". The Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  35. 1 2 Williams, Eric D. (May 23, 2005). "With Help, Fast Ferry Makes Headway". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  36. ↑ Gilmore, Susan (March 9, 2007). "Bremerton passenger ferry run to end March 30". The Seattle Times. p. B2.
  37. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (February 4, 2007). "Fast Ferries: There's Still Time to Vote on Foot-Ferry Sales-Tax Measure". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  38. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (February 7, 2007). "Fast Ferry Tax Measure Fails—Again". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Passenger-only ferry service timeline". Kitsap Sun. March 10, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  40. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (March 7, 2007). "Bremerton-Seattle Foot Ferry to Shut Down". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  41. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (July 18, 2007). "Aqua Express Keeps Kingston-Seattle Foot-Ferry Route". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  42. ↑ Helm, Elaine (September 1, 2005). "Foot Ferry for Kingston to End". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  43. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (April 21, 2009). "Kitsap Transit Buying 73 New Vans, Two Ferries". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  44. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (November 22, 2011). "Kitsap Transit's new fast ferry shows off high speed, low wake". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  45. ↑ "Kitsap Transit's Prototype Ferry Loses Foil During Sea Trials". Kitsap Sun. April 2, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  46. ↑ "Rich Passage Passenger Only Fast Ferry Study Newsletter for Waterfront Property Owners" (PDF). Kitsap Transit. May 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 18, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  47. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (October 29, 2011). "Research ferry wake tests beginning". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  48. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (June 25, 2012). "New foot ferry starts service between Bremerton, Seattle". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  49. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (July 17, 2012). "Seats available on passenger-only research ferry from Bremerton". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  50. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (February 1, 2013). "Kitsap Transit's fast ferry passes wake test". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  51. ↑ Farley, Josh; Friedrich, Ed (March 10, 2013). "Is Bremerton fast ferry's economic wake worth a tax hike?". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  52. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (January 28, 2013). "Kitsap Transit foot ferry runs aground in Jefferson County". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  53. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (February 4, 2014). "Freaky fire damages fast ferry Rich Passage I". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  54. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (November 19, 2015). "Transit ponders fast ferry plan for more than commuters". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  55. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (April 5, 2016). "Kitsap Transit board votes to move forward with foot ferry plan". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  56. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (October 18, 2016). "Fast ferry backers hope third time's a charm". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  57. ↑ "November 8, 2016 General Election Results". Kitsap County Auditor. November 29, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2017– via Washington Secretary of State.
  58. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (November 12, 2016). "Fast ferries moving from talk to action". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  59. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (June 7, 2017). "Kitsap Transit now plans to operate cross-sound foot ferries". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  60. 1 2 Friedrich, Ed (July 10, 2017). "First fast ferry sailed at sunrise". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  61. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (August 22, 2017). "Kitsap Transit exploring fast ferry backup". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  62. ↑ Volser, Christian (March 13, 2018). "Kitsap Transit secures boat to replace Rich Passage 1 during overhaul". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  63. ↑ Volser, Christian (March 30, 2018). "Kitsap Transit cancels Friday fast ferry sailings after Spirit of Kingston recalled". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  64. 1 2 Vosler, Christian (October 19, 2018). "Kitsap Transit takes delivery of M/V Finest". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  65. ↑ Vosler, Christian (November 3, 2018). "Fast ferry to sail from Kingston beginning Nov. 26". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  66. 1 2 3 Gutman, David (November 3, 2018). "Kitsap Transit launching Kingston-to-Seattle fast ferry service after Thanksgiving". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  67. ↑ Lindblom, Mike (March 29, 2021). "New foot ferry makes the trip to downtown Seattle in 26 minutes". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  68. ↑ Smith, Bob (March 15, 2021). "New Southworth fast ferry service is free through April". Kitsap Daily News. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  69. ↑ Vosler, Christian (December 22, 2020). "Southworth fast ferry service delayed until 2021". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  70. 1 2 Craighead, Callie (March 12, 2021). "New passenger-only Southworth-Seattle fast ferry opens end of March; riders ride free in April". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  71. ↑ Pilling, Nathan (March 9, 2023). "Kitsap Transit identifies site for new ferry dock on Seattle waterfront". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  72. ↑ "Electric Fast Foil Ferry". Kitsap Transit. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  73. ↑ Kroman, David (January 29, 2022). "Seattle to Bremerton route will be model for new electric foot ferry". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  74. ↑ "Fares". Kitsap Transit. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  75. ↑ Kroman, David (June 2, 2023). "Saturday service starts this weekend on Kitsap fast ferries". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  76. ↑ "Kitsap Fast Ferries to hold July 5 grand opening with Gov. Jay Inslee, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer to mark launch of Bremerton-Seattle service" (PDF) (Press release). Kitsap Transit. June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  77. 1 2 Friedrich, Ed (March 24, 2017). "Kitsap Transit sets proposed schedule for new foot ferry". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  78. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (June 15, 2017). "Express buses to feed Bremerton fast ferries". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  79. ↑ Vosler, Christian (March 9, 2021). "Southworth fast ferry service set for March 29 start date". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  80. ↑ "Fast Ferry Schedules". Kitsap Transit. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  81. ↑ Bhatt, Sanjay (January 16, 2025). "New record: Kitsap Ferries carried 1.22 million riders in 2024". Headways. Kitsap Transit. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  82. 1 2 "Kitsap Transit's Fast-Ferry Plan presentation" (PDF). Kitsap Transit. October 25, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  83. ↑ Vosler, Christian (April 10, 2019). "Kitsap Transit takes delivery of newest vessel for Bremerton-Seattle fast ferry service". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  84. ↑ Vosler, Christian (September 5, 2017). "Kitsap Transit buys ferry for Kingston route, backup engines for Bremerton route". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  85. ↑ Volser, Christian (April 3, 2018). "Kitsap Transit leases backup boat for Kingston route". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  86. ↑ Vosler, Christian (February 20, 2018). "Kitsap Transit approves purchase of vessels for Bremerton route". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  87. ↑ Vosler, Christian (July 17, 2018). "Kitsap Transit settles on names for fast ferry fleet". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  88. ↑ Vosler, Christian (March 14, 2019). "A first-of-its-kind hybrid-electric ferry among three new vessels coming this year". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  89. ↑ "Nichols Brothers awarded contract to build two high-speed ferries". Workboat. December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  90. ↑ Vosler, Christian (August 17, 2021). "Kitsap Transit nearing full build-out of ferry fleet following delivery of M/V Commander". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  91. ↑ "Our Ferry Fleet". Kitsap Transit. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.