BREMERTON — On Monday, March 18, Kitsap Transit (KT) will begin operating some of the commute-hour shuttles inside the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard which the Navy used to provide. Federal budget cutbacks led to this new chapter in the long and well-established partnership between the transit agency and the U.S. Navy.
KT will start running three Worker/Driver buses, driven by W/D operators with the appropriate security clearances, to serve shipyard employees The buses will run during the morning and afternoon peaks, and, as with all new KT service, these buses will be free for the first week. This will not affect existing W/D routes.
KT shuttles will operate from 5:40 a.m. to 7 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. weekdays, making stops as needed. The last scheduled departure for pick-ups will be 4:05pm. The buses will operate from the Montgomery Parking Lot/Garage to the Main Gate, from the Missouri Gate F- Lot to the Main Gate, and a loop inside the Controlled Industrial Area.
Starting March 25, riders will need $1 cash to ride these KT buses and the fare will only be collected in the morning. ORCA cards will not be accepted due to the rapid start-up of this new service. According to KT Executive Director John Clauson, the $1 morning-only fare is intended to cover KT’s costs to provide this temporary Navy-facility service.
Clauson also said that service times and coverage areas may be adjusted after the first few weeks of service as KT evaluates ridership and where passengers are boarding.
For additional information, please contact KT’s customer service office at 360-377-2877, 1-800-501-7433