POULSBO — As Kitsap Transit’s proposed passenger-only ferry service inches toward becoming a reality in Kingston, Bremerton and Southworth, one city councilman is reminding people that Little Norway is in that lineup too.

Bills snaking their way through the state legislature this session may allow Kitsap Transit to start passenger-only ferry service to replace services the Washington State Ferry system plans to drop as of June 15, 2003. State law currently allows the state to operate passenger-only ferries, but imposes barriers for other types of entities.

Kitsap Transit Director Richard Hayes said the agency’s plan starts with boats sized to hold about 150 passengers for Kingston, Bremerton and Southworth routes.

“But we have to get the bill through the legislature and the people to vote for it first,” Hayes cautioned.

If the proposal does go through, and once the primary routes are established, the plan would also start up secondary routes, among which a downtown Seattle to downtown Poulsbo route is included.

“It’s kind of like starting a transit system where you start with the ones you know will work and then you annex the rest later,” Hayes explained of the phased plan. “Only with this we won’t have to annex the areas because we’re starting with the whole county.”

With the state’s blessing, Kitsap Transit hopes to start up its primary routes in the next three to five years and then the secondary routes may come soon after. The timeline, he explained, will be determined by how well the first runs are implemented.

“But the first thing we have to do, and it’s no small peaches, is get these first runs started,” Hayes said. “There are a lot of variables. Just using Kingston, if we started at Kingston and it went like mad before we could equal it out we would have to do more on that before we could move on.”

However, Hayes added, Poulsbo has some port capabilities that other secondary cities like Port Orchard and Bainbridge Island don’t have. He said that could bode well for Little Norway receiving its boats much earlier.

For Poulsbo City Councilman Jim Henry, just the news that Poulsbo’s run is on an official list is a positive sign.

One of his personal goals as a councilman has been to get foot ferry service to Little Norway, which he sees as a viable way to get more cars off State Highway 305. Henry explained that one of the major driving forces behind his passion for this issue has been recent fatality accidents on and near the Agate Pass Bridge.

“I felt somebody had to get out there and at least try,” Henry said of his quest to get the service to Poulsbo. “I figured win or lose at least you tried.”

Henry added that he feels a direct route from Seattle to Poulsbo with no driving or parking could also mean good things for Poulsbo’s downtown shopping corridor.

Henry said the Poulsbo foot ferry would likely use smaller, 80-passenger vessels, as opposed to the primary routes. A shuttle service from Kitsap Transit’s planned park and ride at the Olhava development could lessen parking impacts at Anderson Parkway. Kitsap Transit also feels that individual fares for the Poulsbo service could be between $10 and $12 a person.

Almost two years ago, Henry nearly got his wish though the Everett-based Pacific Boat Enterprises-Mosquito Fleet. Almost as if taking a page from North Kitsap’s transportation history, Henry proposed using Mosquito Fleet boats to ferry people from the Port of Poulsbo to Seattle’s Pier 66. A June 12, 2001 demonstration run garnered 133 riders eager to try out the potential service.

“Ever since then everybody keeps asking me when our ferry is going to come,” Henry said.

But the Mosquito Fleet plan withered on the vine and Henry was left searching for another likely partner.

His chance came again with Kitsap Transit when the regional authority revived its offer to start up a passenger-only service for Kitsap County in place of WSF.

While Kitsap Transit is asking for the legislature’s go-ahead, Henry is working inside Poulsbo to garner support for the service.

One of the areas where he’s sought preliminary support is from the Port of Poulsbo, where a foot ferry dock in Poulsbo would likely be located. Port Manager Ed Erhardt said a great deal more talk with interested entities and a decision of the port commissioners still need to take place, but he said the concept is definitely worth listening to.

“I think it would be a wonderful thing for the city and the port. It would take a little binding and bending, you might say, but I think we could come up with something,” Erhardt said of his initial reaction to the idea of a passenger-only ferry from the port. “I think the biggest thing is it would be a boon to the downtown area.”

Even Henry, who says this project is his “baby” admitted there are a lot of the fine details to be worked out if and when the project gets a green light.

“Once we see it coming, we’re going to have to get with the riders and see what works,” Henry said.