Kitsap Transit's Bremerton-Seattle fast ferry route through Rich Passage has been selected as the design route for a fully electric, high-speed ferry through a public-private partnership that includes Fast Foil Ferry, LLC, and Washington Maritime Blue.
Maritime Blue also recently announced it has been selected as a finalist for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge. This grant would go towards completing the full design of the conceptual vessel.
The Bremerton-Seattle route has potential for important environmental benefits. The route goes through the narrow Rich Passage where high wakes can contribute to erosion and damage to the shoreline. The electric fast ferry would be designed to have almost no wake.
Kitsap Transit launched Bremerton/Seattle passenger-only ferry service in 2017, and expanded the service to two vessels in 2019 after it was determined that adding a second vessel did not have a measurable impact on beaches.
In 2020, Kitsap Transit along with their partners, Fast Foil Ferry, LLC and Washington Maritime Blue, were awarded a Federal Transit Administration innovation grant to complete a proof of concept report for a battery-powered high-speed passenger ferry utilizing low-emission technology.
The selection of the Bremerton route means that the final vessel could make a full round trip through Rich Passage without recharging – a positive step towards implementing VISION 2050 and the Regional Transportation Plan's goals of reducing emissions and expanding safe and efficient transit options.