State reopens
Gov. Jay Inslee confirmed Tuesday that the state’s economy will reopen June 30, as planned, with businesses returning to normal capacity and operations.
He had said earlier that 70% of the state’s eligible residents needed to be vaccinated to make that happen but evidently changed his mind as the number came close at 68.8% as of late Monday.
“Because folks listened to science and stayed home to stay healthy, wore masks and got vaccinated, we can now safely fully reopen our state’s economy and cultural centers after fifteen long months,” the governor said in a statement. “It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud of how Washingtonians came together, persevered and sacrificed to fight this virus, and now we’re finally in a place that is safe enough to end this chapter.”
Fully vaccinated residents are free to go without face coverings outdoors and in most indoor spaces.
City Hall reopens
Beginning July 1, Bainbridge Island City Hall reopened for in-person services for the first time in 1½ years.
City Hall closed to the public in March 2020 due to COVID-19, and staff began offering many services by phone, email and video conference.
Safety measures include: A mask is required for non-vaccinated visitors and is encouraged for fully vaccinated visitors; plexiglass barriers at front counters to maintain physical distancing; there are markings on the floor to allow visitors space while waiting to speak with staff; and hand sanitizer has been placed throughout the lobby.
Also, the city will again accept in-person payments, so customers will be responsible for convenience fees for any credit card payments. During the closure, the city paid $52,000 in convenience fees on behalf of customers while in-person payments were not an option.
For more, go to the city’s COVID-19 webpage at bainbridgewa.gov/COVID19.
Casino shuttle
The Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort is offering a shuttle to and from the ferry docks in Bainbridge Island.
Times vary Friday through Sunday but they start as early as 9:15 a.m. and end as late as midnight.
Those with reservations are seated first, call 360-598-8788; the rest are first-come, first-served. Masks must be worn. Players Club card needed for boarding. Ages 18 and older only.
BI Ride app
Kitsap Transit on July 7 will host a launch event at 10 a.m. at the Town & Country Market for an on-demand bus service mobile app on BI Ride.
BI Ride is a shared-ride service for getting around Bainbridge Island that operates on weekdays from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $2. Starting July 6, travelers who download the Ride Pingo mobile app will be able to book, track and pay for a trip on BI Ride. The benefits include shorter wait times, real-time arrival information and more people being able to access the service. KT will provide free rides in July so riders can sample the service. The app is available for free download in the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android). Travelers also can still call 1.844.4BI.RIDE.
“Kitsap Transit is doing so much innovation right now, adding Uber-style ride-hailing to BI Ride,” Councilmember Leslie Schneider said. “For the price of a public transit bus trip, we can use a phone app to get that bus to come to us! And take us where we need to go. That sounds like the future of mobility. And it sounds like a really smart solution for Bainbridge right now.”
KT also is offering a survey on transit needs and usage at www.surveymonkey.com/r/BIRide
New parking
Off-street parking changes began last weekend on Miller Road near the Grand Forest main parking lot to ensure safety for people walking and biking.
The changes will include off-street gravel parking areas on the north and south sides of the Grand Forest parking lot entrance. Drivers will be required to park completely off the paved bike lane. Signs will be added to indicate that parking is not allowed on the paved shoulder.
Park users are encouraged to explore alternate parking locations when the Miller Road lot is full. Parking exists at the Mandus Olsen entrance to the park and at Battle Point Park where the Forest to Sky trail provides a connection to the Grand Forest.
The plan to restrict roadside parking in this area was approved by the City Council due to safety concerns that Grand Forest visitors often park along the side of the road when the parking lot is full and block the paved bicycle lane that was constructed a few years ago.
In 2018, the city widened both shoulders of Miller from Tolo to Peterson Hill roads and Fletcher Bay Road from High School to New Brooklyn roads to make them safer for people walking and biking.
Jobless up
During the week of June 13-19 there were 7,544 initial regular unemployment claims (up 9.5% from the prior week) and 374,810 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories (down 2.3%) filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department.
• Initial regular claims applications are now 75% below weekly new claims applications during the same period last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The four-week moving average for initial claims remains elevated at 8,347 (as compared to pre-pandemic of 6,071) and remains at similar levels filed during the Great Recession.
• Initial claims applications for regular benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance increased slightly over the week.
• Initial claims applications for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and continued/ongoing claims for all benefits decreased over the week.
• Increases in layoffs in Accommodation and Food Services and Educational Services contributed to the increase in regular initial claims last week. In the week ending June 19, ESD paid out over $213 million for 272,242 individual claims. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, ESD has paid more than $19.2 billion in benefits to over a million Washingtonians.
