Mooring the Southworth-to-downtown Seattle fast ferry off-hours at the Washington State Ferries dock is a proposal that continues to be discussed by Kitsap County and state transit officials. But when the project may be given the green light remains up in the air.

WSF and “Kitsap Transit meet regularly to discuss working together on phased improvements at the Southworth terminal, including a future tie-up slip” to moor the fast ferry, said Suanne Pelley, a ferries spokeswoman.

WSF did not assign a time when a final decision would be made about mooring the ferry at Southworth. “Once we reach agreement on how we would collaborate on project development, the project still needs to work through the usual planning, design and environmental review processes before going to construction. That process is expected to last 2-5 years,” Pelley says in an email statement.

Holding up the decision about whether Southworth will be the new mooring site appears to be that ferry officials have to decide on other improvements planned for the dock. Those include reconfiguring the parking area, moving the terminal and replacing the trestle, Pelley said.

Currently, when the passenger-only ferry is not in use, it travels 11 miles to moor at Bremerton. Docking the vessel at Southworth, where it sails from each weekday, would avoid twice-daily treks to Bremerton. The 140-foot ferry is moored midday between commuting hours and at the end of the day.

Ending trips to Bremerton would save on fuel and crew expenses, KT officials earlier stated.

Mooring the fast ferry at Southworth would also have environmental advantages, KT officials said. The ferry would avoid having to travel to Bremerton through Rich Passage, a narrow waterway bordering South Kitsap and Bainbridge Island. Some have voiced concern that the vessel’s wake is damaging shorelines.

When KT first announced in 2021 its interest in mooring the fast ferry closer to Southworth, officials considered tying it up at Harper Pier in South Kitsap. The pier is popular for marine activities, including fishing and scuba diving. That proposal created waves among users who feared parking the ferry there would impact public access to Harper Pier.

Members of Friends of Harper Pier, a citizen’s group that considers itself a guardian of the pier, have voiced their opposition to parking the fast ferry there.

Group co-founder James Heytvelt said he is pleased KT is in discussions with WSF about using Southworth instead. “We are hopeful it’s going in the right direction. But it’s not a done deal until it’s over. For now, it’s a waiting game.”

Meanwhile, state ferry officials pledge to notify the community about progress of the Southworth proposal. “We will be keeping the public informed once the project begins the design and environmental review phase, with opportunities for community engagement along the way,” Pelley said.