Sunday Bus Service begins September 24 in Bremerton

Kitsap Transit will begin Sunday service in Bremerton Sept. 24, operating Route 217 and on-demand service.

On Sunday, Sept. 24, Kitsap Transit will operate Sunday bus service for the first time in more than a decade.

In 2009, facing a steep decline in local sales tax revenue due to the Great Recession, Kitsap Transit made the decision to eliminate bus service on Sundays. Ever since, bus service on Sundays has been a frequent request from our riders, along with greater service frequency and hours extended into the evening.

Following a Comprehensive Route Analysis and public process in 2017 and 2018, the Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners adopted a plan in December 2018 to implement service improvements in three phases. Based on community feedback and financial constraints, the plan called for prioritizing improved frequency of bus service and longer service hours on weekdays and Saturdays. In short, Sunday service was put on hold until additional funding became available.

The COVID-19 pandemic derailed Kitsap Transit’s service-improvement plans and made worse a chronic shortage of bus operators. The agency has spent more than a year ramping up its operator recruitment efforts to restore weekday and Saturday service to pre-pandemic levels. But the agency’s finances have also improved to the point that it can add bus service on Sundays. 

At the beginning of 2023, we announced our intent to roll out Sunday bus service in phases across Kitsap County, pending successful operator recruitment. We’re very pleased to announce that in a little over two weeks, Kitsap Transit will launch the first phase of its Sunday Service plan.

Here’s how it will work:

• Service will begin in Bremerton on Sept. 24. We are aiming to implement Sunday service in Port Orchard, Silverdale and Poulsbo in late 2023, and Bainbridge Island in early 2024.

• Kitsap Transit will stand up Bremerton Sunday service with Route 217–Bremerton/Silverdale East, which will operate half-hour service from 8:00 AM to 4:40 PM. You can find the Route 217 Sunday schedule here.

• Kitsap Transit also will operate On-Demand Sunday service between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. This service is similar to a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft – passengers can schedule a ride using the Ride Pingo app anywhere within the service area (see map below), and the vehicle can pick up or drop off other riders during your trip. You can also call to schedule a ride. You can book a ride immediately or up to two hours in advance.

  • Passengers cannot book an On-Demand Ride if both their pickup and drop-off locations are within 1/4 mile of Route 217 (see example below).

• If you’re trying to catch a Washington State Ferry or Local Foot Ferry, you can let your driver know through the Ride Pingo App. Select “Transit Connect” during the booking process and the time of the sailing you’re trying to catch.

• ACCESS service will be available within 3/4 of a mile of our fixed routes. Our foot ferry service between Port Orchard and Bremerton has operated on Sundays since July 2021.

Riders can schedule a trip departing from and traveling to anywhere in the service area ( marked in white).

Using On-Demand Service

To help folks get around on Sundays, we’ll be operating On-Demand service in addition to our main “trunk” route. Using an on-demand service is easy: riders can either call ahead or use the Ride Pingo app to select a pick-up and drop-off location within the service area. You’ll receive an estimated arrival time for your bus.

One important note for Sunday on-demand riders: Because our trunk route operates every half hour, riders will be unable to schedule on-demand rides that both originate and end within 1/4 mile of Route 217. The Ride Pingo app will automatically calculate the distance to determine whether your trip request is eligible.

Here’s an example:

A rider traveling from WinCo Foods to Fred Meyer in Bremerton can use the Ride Pingo app to book a ride, as their pickup location is not within 1/4 mile of Route 217.

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A rider traveling to Safeway from downtown Bremerton would not be able to use the Ride Pingo app to book a ride, as their pickup and drop-off locations are both within 1/4 mile of Route 217.

However, this rider could use Route 217 to complete their trip.

Sunday service will look similar in Port Orchard, Silverdale, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island – a main “trunk route” plus On-Demand service. We’ll release more information closer to the service start-up dates in those communities.

While we’re excited to be starting up bus service on Sundays, Kitsap Transit is still working hard recruit operators. Our drivers receive paid training and CDL certification; excellent benefits including health, dental and vision insurance; a pension in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and generous paid leave. New operators can also earn up to a $7,000 signing bonus.

For more info, and to apply, visit ktheadways.com/drive.