How to use new Routes 265 and 266 to get around Silverdale
Route 265 travels along Bucklin Hill Road on August 14, 2024.
Chances are, if you’ve ever run an errand in Silverdale, you’ve gotten stuck in traffic – we know we have. As part of our summer service change this year, Kitsap Transit added two brand-new routes that provide convenient, quick access around Kitsap County’s commercial and healthcare hub. If you live or work in Silverdale, read on!
Routes 265–Silverdale Central and 266–Silverdale Ridgetop depart the new Silverdale Transit Center (STC) every half-hour and connect to buses coming and going from Bremerton, Poulsbo and Bainbridge.
Route 265 operates on a bidirectional loop, which means it travels its route pattern in two directions to and from STC. This allows riders to catch the bus every hour from the same stop or every half-hour from the stop across the street.
Route 266 travels directly to The Trails Shopping Center along Ridgetop Boulevard and Kitsap Mall Boulevard, with a quick turnaround at the intersection of Greaves Way and Old Frontier Road.
Combined with the rest of our summer service changes, these routes provide more frequent, convenient access to groceries, restaurants, shopping, recreation, social services, and connections to our other transit lines. The new routes are especially useful to people who commute to work in Silverdale; you can save hundreds of dollars a month by using a Kitsap Transit park & rides and transferring at STC to Route 265 or 266.
Groceries
Grocery Outlet is a quick 10-minute trip from the Silverdale Transit Center on Route 265, and the bus lets you off right outside! The loop also serves stops at Silverdale Plaza (Safeway) and Trader Joe’s on Mickelberry Road. Route 266 serves stops outside WinCo Foods and the Trails Shopping Center (Sprouts Farmers Market).
Things to Eat
Silverdale has a ton of excellent restaurants, and you can get to many of them using public transit! Route 265 is your best bet here, as it serves stops on Randall Way and Myhre Road that are a short walk from Silver City Restaurant & Alehouse, Jo:A Japanese, Peter’s Kitchen, Lonestar Donuts, Red Robin and more. Route 266 serves The Trails, home to Mod Pizza, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Habit Burger and Jersey Mike’s Subs.
Other options:
Farelli’s Pizza, Seabeck Pizza, Tessio, Austin Chase Coffee, Bahn Thai, Chung’s Teriyaki, IHOP, Starbucks, Hops n Drops, Azteca Mexican Restaurant, KFC, The Oak Table Café, Green Garden Pho (Route 265)
Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, Teriyaki Delight, Panera Bread, Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse, Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings (Route 266)
Shopping
Silverdale is your oyster with Route 265. Most major stores are easily accessible on the loop, including Costco, Best Buy and PetSmart off Ridgetop Boulevard; Target, Staples, JOANN Fabric, Rite Aid and the UPS Store at Silverdale Plaza; Target, REI, BevMo, Goodwill…the list goes on and on. Route 266 offers quick access to the Kitsap Mall, The Trails, and all the stores they offer.
Things to Do
There are plenty of options for fun and relaxation along these two routes. A stroll along Clear Creek Trail? Check. A good library book and a quiet place to read? Check. Testing your lockpicking abilities at an escape room? Check. A trampoline park? Absolutely check.
Take a class at the YMCA, go to the gym, lounge around Old Mill Park, walk down to Old Town and the Silverdale Waterfront or see a movie. It’s up to you!
Housing
If you live in Silverdale, you really should be riding the bus already! If you don’t live in Silverdale and are considering a move, there are several options along both routes, including the Rivulet Apartments, Crista Shores Senior Living, Highlands at Silverdale, the Wellington Apartment Homes and more.
Healthcare and Services
Both Route 265 and 266 connect with social service agencies, including the Central Kitsap Food Bank, Housing Kitsap, and the Social Security Administration. The routes also serve financial institutions (Navy Federal, Kitsap Credit Union, Wells Fargo), healthcare providers (St. Michael’s Medical Center, the Doctor’s Clinic, Urgent Care) and employment services (WorkSource, Easterseals Washington).
As the only hospital in Kitsap County, St. Michael’s Medical Center has regional significance for thousands of patients, their families, and healthcare workers traveling from across the county. Route 266 runs up to the front door of St. Michael’s, creating new possibilities for employees commuting to work, running errands or getting a bite to eat around town.
Getting to Silverdale and trying transit
For those visiting Silverdale from outside the area, Routes 265 and 266 may not seem especially relevant to you. To be sure, Silverdale has a lot of huge parking lots – but that hasn’t solved the problem of traffic congestion; in some ways, it’s just become worse as the county’s population has grown.
Next time you park somewhere in Silverdale, try riding Route 265 or 266; because of their half-hour frequency, you’ll be able to return to where you began your trip! It’s an easy way to sample a transit ride – and you might find you enjoy your experience in Silverdale more by watching the world go by from the window of a bus and leaving the driving to someone else.
Kitsap Transit also has several park-and-ride lots with bus service that connects to STC. Commuters may park for free at the below park-and-ride lots for the day and ride our buses — we even offer electric vehicle charging and bike lockers at some lots.
Kitsap Transit Park & Ride Lots serving the Silverdale Transit Center
Bremerton:
Wheaton Way Transit Center: Routes 217, 223, 301
McWilliams Park & Ride: Route 223
Crossroads Neighborhood Church: Routes 217, 301
Bremerton United Methodist Church: Route 212
North Kitsap:
Clearwater: Route 333
Poulsbo Junction: Routes 332, 333
North Viking Park & Ride: Routes 301, 331, 332, 333