Overview

In recent years, Kitsap Transit has rapidly expanded its fleet of ferries to support local and cross-Sound service that provides vital transportation options and connects communities in Puget Sound. To meet the ongoing maintenance needs of its ferry fleet, Kitsap Transit is planning to construct a new ferry maintenance facility. This facility will increase ferry service reliability and therefore, will directly benefit multimodal transit in the Puget Sound.

This Kitsap Transit-owned, operated, and dedicated facility will provide:

• Infrastructure to support current and future maintenance of the ferry fleet, including a boat lift capable of lifting vessels out of the water for inspections and repairs, as well as charging and maintenance infrastructure for future electric vessels
• Increased moorage for spare vessels with direct access to maintenance capabilities, relieving the reliance and burden on neighboring marinas, and
• A central location for Kitsap Transit ferry maintenance activities, staff, and inventory.

Why is a New Ferry Maintenance Facility Needed?

Kitsap Transit operates the second largest ferry system in Washington state, with 10 vessels — seven fast ferries and three local ferries — across five distinct routes. Kitsap Transit’s fleet varies in design, with each of the distinct vessel classes requiring substantially different maintenance and repair needs, parts inventories, and employee knowledge and skills. 

Currently, Kitsap Transit does not have a dedicated ferry maintenance facility. Instead, limited maintenance and repair activities are completed at the dock by Kitsap Transit maintenance staff, while any maintenance activities, repairs and inspections that require specialized equipment or supporting infrastructure are performed at area shipyards. This reliance on shipyard availability can lead to service disruptions and increased maintenance costs.

Having a facility dedicated to fulfilling the varying needs of Kitsap Transit’s fleet is critical to meeting the region’s multimodal user demand. A Kitsap Transit-owned and operated maintenance facility will:

• Improve service reliability by minimizing service disruptions associated with shipyard availability
• Allow vessels to be maintained on a regular schedule in a more timely and cost-effective manner
• Provide the infrastructure, inventory and tools necessary to conduct routine maintenance and emergency repairs of the ferry fleet to ensure vessels are consistently in a state of good repair and available to serve the region’s multimodal users 
• Support prompt equipment and system repairs using in-house staff 
• Reduce vessel transport time and expense by consolidating equipment and maintenance capabilities at a primary location in Kitsap County
• Reduce maintenance staff and vessel crew travel time between shipyard and moorage facilities
• Increase moorage availability for Kitsap Transit vessels with direct access to an available maintenance facility 

Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry Route Map (above)

Kitsap Transit Local Foot Ferry Route Map (above)

Project Documents

Project Contact 
Edward Coviello
Transportation & Land Use Planner

Kitsap Transit
60 Washington Ave., Ste 200
Bremerton, WA 98337
Phone: (360) 824-4919
Email: EdwardC@kitsaptransit.com