The Kitsap Transit board of commissioners was notified at its Sept. 2 meeting that the Seattle/Bremerton Saturday fast ferry service will be suspended starting Oct. 1.
The agency was anticipating receiving $4 million from Washington State Ferries, which funds the service, but instead it will now be receiving $3 million, KT executive director John Clauson said.
KT will maintain extra sailings on weekdays, but doesn’t have enough funding to maintain Saturday sailings during the winter season between October and April, Sanjay Bhatt, KT marketing director and spokesperson, said.
“Saturday fast ferry sailings on the Bremerton-Seattle route will continue through Sept. 27. After that, they will not resume until the first Saturday in May, which is May 2, 2026,” Bhatt said.
The board also approved to acquire property, including through potential condemnation, for the future park and ride on Johnson Parkway NE in Poulsbo. The board previously approved work, including an alternative location study, completed an environmental review, and awarded a design contract, per KT documents.
“This is asking permission to enter potential condemnation, move into mediation and further the negotiations with the property owner so that we can move forward with this project,” Steffani Lillie, KT service & capital development director, said.
An updated contract retroactive to May 16 with Teamsters 589, which represents workers/drivers, was also approved by the board. The new contract includes wage adjustments and holiday pay for Juneteenth. The contract term will run until May 15, 2028, per agency documents.
Washington-based Nichols Brothers Boat Builders was also awarded a new contract for repairs on the M/V Solano for a total of $776,589. The board also approved an update to the agency’s procurement policy, which will allow the executive director to award contracts for previously approved projects from the previous cap of $100,000 to $250,000.
KT reported 248,321 total boardings for fast ferry passengers during the second quarter between April 1 and June 30. The 2025 average daily weekday boardings for fast ferry passengers is 3,212 per day.
