Kitsap Transit implemented the final stage of its autumn service reductions on September 28, halting all Saturday passenger-only fast ferry sailings across Puget Sound and cutting late-evening foot ferry connections between Bremerton and Port Orchard.
Fast ferries cross from Bremerton to Seattle in approximately 30 minutes, cutting crossing times in half compared to state-operated auto vessels.
Ending Saturday service before 8:00 p.m. severs direct transit access for restaurant workers, hospitality staff, and community theater patrons traveling between the two waterfront communities.
As a consequence, civilian contractors at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and regional healthcare personnel must crowd into early morning runs or accept the one-hour crossing times on state vehicle ferries.
However, steep increases in diesel fuel, marine insurance, and maritime labor over the subsequent decade expanded operating costs per vessel hour by more than 28 percent, straining local tax receipts beyond original engineering estimates.
Kitsap Transit enacted the final stage of its autumn service cuts on September 28, halting Saturday fast ferry sailings across Puget Sound and trimming evening foot ferries between Bremerton and Port Orchard.