Bremerton passenger ferry run to end March 30

[SS San Mateo]

The passenger ferry service between Bremerton and downtown Seattle will end March 30, a victim of low ridership, high fuel costs and the lack of local support.

"We're proud of what we did," said Greg Dronkert, president of Kitsap Ferry, which provided the service. "We've demonstrated that public-private relationships can work, but the reality is we were never able to put together a funding mechanism."

Service began in 2004, with Kitsap Transit paying for the boat lease, docking and fuel. But a Kitsap County measure, which would have increased the sales tax by three-tenths of a cent to pay for passenger ferry service, was defeated last month. It was needed to keep the Bremerton ferry running.

More at:

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003609177_kitsapferry09m.html

[Barnacle]

Oh great, now I have homework to do... I have to write "I will not be smug" 500 times. ;D

[zman]

None of this would have happened in the first place if WSF had kept their passenger runs in operation.
The least they could do now is add an extra mid-day trip with the auto ferries between the 12:35PM (Bremerton)/12:45PM (Seattle) and 3:00PM gap...the 3:00 from Seattle is a bit crowded. They could also consider treating the Bremerton route like any other, by not giving 30 minutes for the turn around. It can be done in 10 or 15 minutes.

[Political Incorrectness]

20 minutes is what I would consider fair for turn around time IMO

[Barnacle]

zman said:

None of this would have happened in the first place if WSF had kept their passenger runs in operation.
The least they could do now is add an extra mid-day trip with the auto ferries between the 12:35PM (Bremerton)/12:45PM (Seattle) and 3:00PM gap...the 3:00 from Seattle is a bit crowded. They could also consider treating the Bremerton route like any other, by not giving 30 minutes for the turn around. It can be done in 10 or 15 minutes.

Actually, to fully unload a Super takes about 12-13 minutes, assuming no traffic hangups. Fully loading, ditto. Add five minutes for your safety sweeps, and you're pretty much up against the half hour margin.

[zman]

I guess that it depends where you are and when you are there...I know that when it comes to the commuter trips, more time is needed for sure.
It is the mid-day trips, when the boat is unloaded fairly quickly, then there is a 10 minute break, then they load 5 minutes before departure.
If the Bremerton boats left both sides at the same time, it would seem like they could do 8:45, 10:00, 11:15, 12:30, 1:45, and so on. Right now, from Bremerton, it is 9:00, 10:15, 11:30, 12:35, 3:00...etc.
That is a big gap in between 12:35 and 3:00.
It would seem that if they cut 5 minutes off each turnaround, there could easily be another mid-day trip.
Before all of the passenger boats were cut, there were more frequent auto ferry departures. They also had more convienient late night services.

[Barnacle]

Oh, back when there was funding? ;D

Part of the funding cuts' plan was to try to spread the effects out fairly evenly. This included spacing out the sailings a tiny bit on the Bremerton run (where, BTW, I-695 passed with the highest majority on this side of the hills from what I've heard). Apparently this resulted in a slight fuel savings by not running at the higher consumption rate for that extra sailing or something.

The budget cuts were Kitsap County's idea of a good time; why shouldn't they have to suffer too?

[zman]

Okay...you win on that one

I wonder who will try next.

[Political Incorrectness]

Better to pay taxes on the ferries than pay taxes to a tunnel that will not do much good besides sprawl traffic elsewhere. That's what you get for paying only one way