Many KT ideas would benefit our area

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In developing its Long-Range Transit Plan for the next 20 years, Kitsap Transit is considering a number of ideas that would benefit Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo and North Kitsap.

One idea is advancing high-capacity transit on busy routes such as Highway 305 between Winslow and Poulsbo. That’s a type of bus that arrives often and has features that make it faster and more reliable, such as bus-only lanes.

Proposed new bus routes could include intra island on Bainbridge, along with one from Poulsbo to Kingston.

RIDE expansion could happen in east Poulsbo, and BI RIDE hours of operation also could expand.

Multimodal hubs would be needed, such as at Lynwood Center, Poulsbo and Suquamish – where KT riders could transfer from other forms of transportation, such as bikes or personal vehicles.

Also being considered is adding Sunday service for those who work, shop and recreate on that day. Updating frequency on 11 routes so they occur every 30 minutes also is being considered. Among those locations are Poulsbo Central and Poulsbo-Silverdale.

Park and Rides would be needed at Day Road on Bainbridge, Kingston, George’s Corner near Kingston, Port Gamble and Poulsbo.

Such expansions would lead to some new facilities and upgrades to others, such as to the Kingston Ferry breakwater and North Base heavy-duty maintenance facility north of Poulsbo.

Speed and reliability projects could include traffic signal priority and queue jumps where buses can cut to the front of the line at traffic signals. The 1,160 bus stops would be looked at to see how improvements could be made.

Overall KT goals include improving service, introducing new options, ensuring equity, maintaining financial stability and supporting grant efforts. Some of the ideas already brought forward include: more frequent service, longer hours of service; more routes; more park and rides; expanding on-demand RIDE service; adding circulator routes in high-activity places; and adding one or more new ferry routes.