Private ferry to connect Kingston to Seattle

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, July 11, 2004

BREMERTON – A direct ferry route from Kingston to Seattle is expected to begin operations this fall.

State regulators ruled Friday that Aqua Express, a private ferry company, could operate passenger-only service connecting Kingston to Pier 56 on the Seattle waterfront, near the State Ferries terminal on Pier 52.

The state ferry system serves Kingston from Edmonds, about 15 miles north of Seattle.

Commuters welcomed the news, saying the 40-minute ride will shave hours from their trips.

“There’s a lot of happy people. As a whole, the Kingston community is really looking forward to it,” said Walt Elliott, a member of the Kingston Citizens Advisory Committee.

The cost is $5.25 per person each way, with discounted monthly passes available. Aqua Express estimates it will serve 248,000 passengers a year and generate nearly $1.6 million in revenue.

Kingston has been exploring direct service to Seattle for 15 years or more.

The community is at the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula. To get to Seattle, commuters now have three options: take the Kingston-Edmonds ferry and drive south after the half-hour trip; drive to Bremerton and take the 55-minute state ferry trip to Seattle; or go entirely by land – taking Highway 16 south to Tacoma and then I-5 north to Seattle.

The state fare for all central Puget Sound routes is $5.70 round-trip for walk-on passengers – with a 50 percent reduction for seniors – or $12.50 one way for a vehicle and driver. The state also offers multi-trip discounts.

Private operators previously considered a Kingston-Seattle route, but backed off when the state developed a plan to expand passenger-ferry service to Kingston, Bremerton and Southworth.

Those plans were dashed in 1999 with the passage of Initiative 695, which cut the necessary funds. Last year, Kitsap Transit made an unsuccessful attempt to raise taxes to launch its own countywide passenger ferry service.

The state Utilities and Transportation Commission determined “there is a substantial need” and “a strong desire by the public for such a service.”

The Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific initially protested private service, saying it would siphon riders from the state ferries and jeopardize union jobs. The union withdrew the protest, however, after a similar action against a private Bremerton ferry company was struck down.

Darrell Bryan, a partner in Aqua Express, said the company will work hard to get the remaining environmental permits squared away so it can start offering service in October.

The company filed its original application April 8 and was pleased how quickly the ruling was returned, he said.

The new ferry service will accommodate 250 people per trip. Start-up will require an upgrade to the Kingston pier.

Some area residents are concerned that the new route will further accelerate growth and development in Kingston.

“Some say it won’t matter. Some say: ‘Oh, my gosh. It’s going to bring thousands more people here’,” said advisory committee member Betsy Cooper.