Planning study news
We're updating the Seattle/Bainbridge Island and Seattle/Bremerton sailing schedules.
Our next Community Task Force Meeting will be held on August 18 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Register below to attend.
Purpose
The Seattle/Bainbridge Island and Seattle/Bremerton routes have seen significant changes over the last 20 years. From the construction of the new flagship terminal to the assignment of different classes of ferries, the assumptions that formed the original schedule are out of date and have resulted in consistent delays in recent years. Small delays accumulate throughout the day, often leading to a schedule reset (when a boat gets so far behind schedule, we cancel a sailing to get it back on schedule, providing predictability for customers). WSF will build the new schedules based on realistic crossing and dwell times, employee feedback and customer input.
To better assess the needs of the communities we serve during the initial planning stages of the schedule rewrite, we have assembled a community task force. A full roster of task force members and their affiliations can be found under the Background Tab below.
Review the most recent meeting recording: June 16 Community Task Force meeting.
Register to attend the next Community Task Force meeting: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on August, 18
The Seattle Multimodal Terminal at Colman Dock serves the Seattle/Bainbridge Island and Seattle/Bremerton routes and is WSF's flagship terminal. Nearly five million people traveled the Seattle/Bainbridge Island route in 2024 making it WSF's busiest route. After several years of reduced ferry service WSF restored the Seattle/Bremerton route to its regular two-boat service to better serve Kitsap County and Seattle-area travelers. The current sailing schedules are built on outdated assumptions that cause frequent delays—Seattle/Bainbridge Island had 36 schedule resets in July 2025 alone. Over the next year, WSF will update these schedules using realistic travel times, staff expertise and community feedback. Our goal is to implement new sailing schedules for these routes in Fall 2027.
Community Task Force Members
- Carla O – Bremerton ferry rider
- Peter Levinthal – Seattle/Bainbridge reverse commuter
- Isabel Goñi-McAteer - Bremerton commuter
- Lynn Forster – Bremerton ferry rider
- Phil Pons – Long-time Bainbridge commuter
- Karen Holland – Bremerton commuter; employer
- Elias Gordon – Healthcare professional, daily Bainbridge/Seattle bike commuter
- Michelle McClure – Bainbridge ferry rider
- Daniel Walkup – Bremerton FAC Chair
- Dane Fenwick – Bainbridge Island School District
- Ed Coviello – Kitsap Transit planner
- Tony Smallbeck – Bainbridge FAC member; disability advocate
- Kevin Futrell – Kitsap Transit service planner
- Nora Weitkamp – Bremerton off-peak ferry rider
- Stella Collier – Bainbridge reverse commuter; City of Bainbridge Island
- Maddie Herrmann – Bremerton FAC member; commuting families
- Stephen Jones – Bremerton commuter with young kids
- Charlotte Clifton – Daily Bremerton commuter
- Annika Johnson – UW student
- Joe Edgell
- Joe Deets
- Richard Velazquez