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 Kitsap Transit Bus 757 at theWashington State Ferry terminal inBremerton | |
| Founded | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operation | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Bremerton, Washington |
| Locale | Kitsap County, Washington |
| Service type | Bus,passenger ferry,vanpool,paratransit |
| Routes | 40 |
| Hubs | 9 |
| Fleet | 136 buses, 9 ferries[1] |
| Daily ridership | 9,901 (weekdays, 2023)[1] |
| Annual ridership | 3,023,200 (2024)[2] |
| Fuel type | Diesel,electric |
| Operator | Kitsap County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority |
| Executive director | John Clauson[3] |
| Employees | 462 (2024)[4] |
| Website | www |
Kitsap Transit is apublic transit agency servingKitsap County, Washington, part of theSeattle metropolitan area. The system is based inBremerton and operates bus service on 40 fixed routes, two localpassenger ferry routes, avanpool system, worker-driver services, anddial-a-rideparatransit. TheKitsap Fast Ferries, also operated by Kitsap Transit, launched in 2017 and has three routes that connectSeattle to Kitsap County. In 2024, the system had a total ridership of 3,023,200 and nearly 10,000 passengers on an average weekday in 2023.
Beginning in 1971, thecity of Bremerton operated a municipal transit system that had been bought out from a private company.[5]
A countywidepublic transportation benefit area (PTBA) was formed in 1978 to explore a transit system for Kitsap County as a whole. A 0.2 percentsales tax was put before voters in May of that year for a countywide system, but was rejected.[5] A second attempt was put on the September 27, 1982 ballot, with a 0.3 percent sales tax and a limited PTBA serving Bremerton,Gorst,Port Orchard,Poulsbo andSilverdale. The PTBA was approved by 55.6 percent of voters, and service began in January 1983, taking over the Bremerton municipal system.[6]
In 1992, Kitsap Transit became the first transit agency in theUnited States to install atraffic signal preemption system forbus priority, beginning with 40 buses and 42 traffic signals in a year-long trial of the "Opticom" system.[7]
Kitsap Transit formed apublic-private partnership with Kitsap Ferry Company to operate apassenger ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle in 2004, replacing a formerWashington State Ferries passenger run that was suspended the previous year.[8] The service was suspended in 2007, after voters rejected a sales tax increase to fund the ferry's rising fuel costs.[9] Kitsap Transit, looking to revive the service, placed a 0.3 percent sales tax on the November 2016 ballot to fund fast ferry service, which was passed by voters.[10] The newKitsap Fast Ferries service began operation on July 10, 2017, traveling 28 minutes between Bremerton and Seattle.[11] A second fast ferry route, connecting Kingston to Seattle, began operating in November 2018.[12]
In 2002, Kitsap Transit purchased Horluck Transportation, the operators of afoot ferry from Bremerton to Port Orchard andAnnapolis, for $1.52 million.[13]
During a period of declining sales tax revenue following theGreat Recession, Kitsap Transit made major service cuts to make up for a budget shortfall. Sunday and holiday service was discontinued in February 2009, low-performing routes were consolidated or eliminated later that year. Fares were raised twice to $2, and employees were laid off.[14]
In 2015, Kitsap Transit tested adouble-decker bus fromAlexander Dennis on routes serving ferry runs.[15] The agency debuted a newbattery electric bus manufactured byProterra in April 2018.[16]
Kitsap Transit oversees the operations of these services:
Kitsap Transit participates in theORCA card program and has a retail office at the Bremerton Transportation Center.
Kitsap Transit routes connect toJefferson Transit,Mason Transit Authority,Pierce Transit and theWashington State Ferries terminals inBremerton,Bainbridge,Kingston andSouthworth.
Kitsap Transit is overseen by a ten-memberexecutive board composed of the three county commissioners, the mayor of Bremerton, a Bremerton City Council member, appointed representatives from the cities of Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Port Orchard, and Poulsbo, an at-large member from the three smaller cities, and a non-voting member representing the agency's labor unions.[17]
| Fleet number(s) | Image | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 730–747 |  | 2003 | Gillig | Phantom 40' | 46 |
|
| 752–761 |  | 2004 | Gillig | Low Floor 35' | 34 |
|
| 762–766 |  | 2005 | Gillig | Low Floor 35' | 34 | |
| 771–774 |  | 2004 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' | 40 | |
| 775–779 |  | 2005 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' | 40 | |
| 780–787 | 2016 | Gillig | Low Floor 30' | 30 | ||
| 788–789 | 2017 | Gillig | Low Floor 30' | 30 | ||
| 792–795 | 2018 | Gillig | Low Floor 29' | 30 | ||
| 800 | 2018 | Proterra | Catalyst BE40 | 37 |
| |
| 3500–3515 | 2019 | Gillig | Low Floor 35' | 34 | ||
| 3516–3521 | 2022 | Gillig | Low Floor Plus EV 35' | 34 |
| |
| 3522–3530 | 2024 | Gillig | Low Floor Plus EV 35' | 34 |
| |
| 4000 | 2020 | Gillig | Low Floor Plus EV 40' | 40 |
| |
| 4001–4005 | 2020 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' | 40 | ||
| 4006–4010 | 2022 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' | 40 | ||
| 6007–6045 |  | 1994–2002 | MCI | 102D3 | 47 |
|
| 6100–6104 | 2024 | Gillig | Suburban 40' | 37 |
|
| Name | Year built | Capacity | Length | Top speed (knots) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle II | 1917 | 140 | 60 ft (18 m) | 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) | Refurbished in 2021 |
| Admiral Pete | 1994 | 120 | 65 ft (20 m) | 22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph) | Refurbished in 2012 |
| MVWaterman | 2019 | 150 | 70 ft (21 m) | 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) | Hybrid diesel–electric |
Mass transit in thePuget Sound region | |
|---|---|
| Local and express bus | |
| Light rail | |
| Streetcar | |
| Commuter rail | |
| Bus rapid transit | |
| Ferry | |
| Monorail |
|
| People mover | |
| Historic | |
| Other | |
Italics denote lines or services which are planned, under construction, defunct, or otherwise not operating at the present time. | |
