$17 million grant for new maintenance facility in Poulsbo, double-decker electric buses
Conceptual rendering of 23,000 square-foot maintenance facility at Kitsap Transit’s North base in Poulsbo. North Viking Park & Ride can be seen in the distance. Image courtesy of TCF Architecture
Kitsap Transit will receive $17 million in federal funding to construct a full-service maintenance facility at its North base in Poulsbo and procure five double-decker battery-electric buses, accelerating the agency’s efforts to transition its fleet toward a zero-emissions future.
KT was one of eight recipients in Washington state under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program established by Sen. Patty Murray in 2009. RAISE grants, which were originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants, can be used for infrastructure projects with local or regional impact. Sen. Maria Cantwell worked to authorize the RAISE grant program for the first time ever in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided the program with $7.5 billion over five years, a 50 percent increase in funding.
“We are deeply grateful to our Congressional delegation for supporting Kitsap Transit’s infrastructure projects on the road to a greener, more sustainable future for public transportation,” said Executive Director John Clauson. “This new maintenance facility has been on our wish list for quite some time and supports the transit fleet of the future.”
KT now has seven battery-electric buses in operation; by the end of 2025, KT will have 30 battery-electric buses in operation, and by 2027, KT anticipates as many as 50 of these buses operating fixed-route services in Kitsap County.
The current North base facility has no maintenance bay for buses and one charger for electric buses, with 10 additional chargers slated to be installed in 2025. KT must drive buses that operate North Kitsap routes 35 miles (roundtrip) to KT’s Charleston base in Bremerton for repairs and maintenance. The maintenance facility in Bremerton has only three bays servicing more than 300 KT vehicles, was built in the 1940s and has no room to expand. KT estimates this need to drive buses to Bremerton for service results in 2,700 bus roundtrips annually, consuming fuel and employee hours, not to mention putting wear-and-tear on buses.
Kitsap Transit’s Charleston base in Bremerton was built in the 1940s, services more than 300 vehicles and has no room to expand.
The proposed 23,000 square-foot North base maintenance facility will eliminate these trips and is designed to support KT’s fixed-route zero-emission fleet. With five heavy-duty maintenance bays and electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, the facility will support five double-decker battery-electric buses that can be added to two of KT’s most popular North Kitsap routes serving the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal.
Kitsap Transit has taken a phased approach to the development of its North base. In 2006, KT purchased three parcels for transit use. Phases 1 and 2 included the design and construction of a bus storage facility, bus wash, fueling station, operations center and the North Viking Park & Ride. The North Viking Park & Ride and transit center opened in late 2016.
Phase 3, the final phase of the project, includes the final design and construction of the full-service maintenance facility. In addition to the maintenance bays, the conceptual design calls for additional office space, storage, locker rooms, meeting areas and training classrooms, with the possibility of adding green energy production onsite, such as solar, geothermal or wind. The existing operations building onsite will remain and be connected to the new facility by a 2,900 square-foot common building.
KT plans to match 20 percent of the federal funding with local dollars, or $4.25 million. The project’s total cost is $21.25 million, with $13 million for the maintenance facility project and $8.25 million for the five double-decker electric buses.
“With this funding I secured, the people of Kitsap County will have more options to help them get safely and efficiently from Point A to Point B – all while cutting down on emissions,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said in a statement released last week.
“This award allows Kitsap Transit to purchase new electric buses and upgrade its maintenance facility with new crane lifts, elevated walkways and internal charging infrastructure,” said U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell.
“This is a big deal,” said U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer. “These investments in projects across Washington state will help move people and freight better. That’s important for our local economies, for quality of life, and for helping community connectivity.”