Kitsap Transit seeks public comment ahead of proposed fare increases

Kai Uyehara, Kitsap Sun
·2 min read
Kitsap Transit's fast ferry the Lady Swift speeds past Bachmann Park as it heads from Bremerton to Seattle on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023.
Kitsap Transit's fast ferry the Lady Swift speeds past Bachmann Park as it heads from Bremerton to Seattle on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023.

Kitsap Transit has proposed a fare increase for its passenger ferry program starting October 1 and is looking for public comment before a public hearing to be held July 2.

The fare increase would be the first in Kitsap Transit’s seven years of service since 2017. An announcement released on the service’s website and sent on rider alerts cited “ongoing inflationary conditions and growing urgency to preserve the long-term sustainability” of the fleet and facilities as occasion for the price bump.

Full fare for a westbound fast ferry ticket would jump from $10 to $12, while an eastbound ticket would remain the same, and a monthly pass would now cost $196 instead of $168. The eastbound and westbound PugetPass would also be $432 when it used to be $360. Each respective fare price would increase again on October 1, 2025.

Kitsap Transit’s bus/ferry pass would be eliminated. Passholders would instead be offered fare-free rides on the foot ferries, routed, ACCESS and on-demand/dial-a-ride services for the month their pass is valid.

Parking fees would also increase at the Annapolis ferry terminal, along with parking fines for all parking lots. A daily parking fee would jump to $7 from $5, and a monthly permit from $80 to $115.

A full view of Kitsap Transit’s fare policy proposal can be viewed online at the service’s website. Kitsap Transit’s executive director, John Clauson, would also be delegated authority to set special fare rates under the new policy.

The Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed fare increases on July 2 at 8:30 a.m. and are opening a public comment period from May 18 until July 1 at 4 p.m.

Public comments can be submitted in a written form to clerk Jackie Bidon at 60 Washington Avenue, Suite 200; Bremerton, WA 98337 or by email at JacquelynB@kitsaptransit.com. Comments can also be submitted online by June 13.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap Transit ferry fares could increase in October