Bremerton Fast Ferry online schedules get a visual update
Today, Kitsap Transit is updating the Bremerton Fast Ferry schedule table on our website. We’re doing this to improve the readability and accuracy of the schedule and to provide some clarity on the status of temporary sailings on the Bremerton-Seattle route.
No departure or arrival times are being moved; these changes only affect how the schedule appears on our website.
First, we’re removing all references to a “second boat” on the schedule. When Kitsap Transit started operating two-boat service in 2020, we highlighted the new sailings and used “second boat” as a shorthand in case we needed to cancel a full slate of morning or evening sailings. It was much quicker for our small marketing staff to send an alert canceling “all Boat 2 sailings” than to list the sailings individually.
A fast ferry departs the Bremerton Dock on December 12, 2022.
As the fast ferry service has grown, the “second boat” terminology has become less useful. The addition of backup vessels means we rarely cancel an entire morning or afternoon of sailings. Since vessels are rotated frequently, specific boats don’t always operate specific sailings. When sailings need to be canceled, we now send alerts that list which specific sailings from which docks are canceled. This is easier to understand for riders (some of whom may not know what “Boat 2” means) and the crew members who request alerts.
The second important change we’re making to the schedule table is to highlight the temporary sailings added to the Bremerton route in December 2022. These sailings were not part of the original business plan passed by Kitsap County voters in 2016. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is paying Kitsap Transit to operate these temporary sailings until Washington State Ferries (WSF) can restore a second car ferry to the Seattle-Bremerton route.
Currently, Kitsap Transit has funding to operate the expanded sailing schedule through the end of April. The state’s proposed 2024 supplemental transportation budget includes funding to maintain the expanded schedule, but the budget won’t take effect until passed by the Legislature.
Starting today, the temporary sailings will be highlighted in gray. When WSF restores full-time, two-boat service to Bremerton, or funding becomes unavailable, we will stop operating these sailings. We know many riders have gotten used to an expanded fast ferry schedule, and we want to be proactive and transparent about the future status of these sailings.
WSF recently released its updated Service Contingency Plan, which includes timelines for the restoration of service over the next several years. You can read the updated plan here.