Free rides to cooling centers during excessive heat

With Kitsap County and Greater Seattle area facing excessively high temperatures starting on Tuesday, Kitsap Transit will waive fares for passengers needing bus rides to cooling centers.

An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect from noon Tuesday through 4 PM Friday for the Bremerton-Silverdale area, according to the National Weather Service. Highs are expected in the upper 90 degrees. These high temperatures pose a high risk for heat-related illnesses, especially for those who are heat sensitive and those without effective cooling or adequate hydration.

Check out the Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management (KCDEM) website for information on severe weather shelters and tips to stay cool.

COOLING CENTERS — UPDATED FOR FRIDAY, 7/29

Kitsap Regional Library had designated these branches as cooling centers when the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat warning and local weather forecasts indicate temperatures above 90 degrees for several days:

• Bainbridge Island

• Kingston

• Little Boston

• Manchester

• Port Orchard

• Poulsbo

• Sylvan Way (Bremerton) — Closed from Thursday, 7/28, through Saturday, 7/30, for roof work.

In addition these other cooling centers are open through Saturday:

• Haselwood Family YMCA

• Bremerton Family YMCA

• Salvation Army

If you need a ride to a cooling center, Kitsap Transit’s buses may be an option for you, depending on how close you live to a bus stop.

If you have a smartphone, we encourage you to download the Kitsap Transit Tracker so you can see the real-time arrival time (estimated) for your bus at your stop. Within the app you also can look at the bus schedule for the route.

When you depart the cooling center, Kitsap Transit will provide a free ride as well during our normal hours of service.

Customers should be aware that the air-conditioning on our buses will cool the vehicle by 10 degrees compared to the outside temperatures. Please dress appropriately for the heat and bring water.

BUS ROUTES TO COOLING CENTERS

Port Orchard

Routes 4, 5, 8, 9 and 86 serve the Port Orchard Ferry Dock, which is next to the Kitsap Regional Library - Port Orchard branch.

Bremerton-Silverdale corridor

The Salvation Army in downtown Bremerton has been open as a designated cooling center since the heat wave began earlier in the week. Multiple routes serve the area around the Salvation Army cooling center, including Routes 26, 212, and 217.

The YMCAs in Bremerton and Silverdale are also serving as official cooling stations through Saturday, according to Kitsap County. Their hours on Friday, 7/29, are 5 AM to 7 PM, and on Saturday, 7/30, from 7 AM to 5 PM, according to the county.

Bremerton Family YMCA is served by Route 225 (see map above).

Haselwood Family YMCA is on Randall Way, which is served by Routes 212 and 333.

North Kitsap

Route 344 will get you close to Kitsap Regional Library - Poulsbo branch. Routes 390 and 333 are alternatives if you don’t mind walking a bit. To get to the Kitsap Regional Library - Kingston branch, try Kingston Ride or Routes 302 and 307.

Bainbridge Island

Routes 93, 95 and 106 pass by the Kitsap Regional Library - Bainbridge Island branch. BI Ride also offers curb-to-curb service.

ACCESS customers who have a trip scheduled today may want to reschedule their trips to a different day when outside temperatures are more comfortable. To reschedule, call ACCESS at 800.422.2877.

We will update this blog post as needed during this excessive heat event.