“Don’t ride the bus?Swell. Just think of all the other drivers you can keep off the road and out of your way.And for users of local public transportation, too, this one’s a gimme – we urge a yes vote Sept. 19 on Proposition 1, a three-tenths-of-a-cent countywide sales tax increase to fund Kitsap Transit services.We’d like to say that this sales-tax hike will bring Bainbridge Island and Kitsap County a lot of never-before-seen bus runs and other perks. Instead, it’s a largely restorative measure, and would help fix the local mess created by I-695 – which slashed Kitsap Transit’s budget by 40 percent this year. Passage would bring back popular bus service for commuters, seniors and the disabled, getting the agency back on track to meet the needs of a fast-growing island and county population.The measure would replenish the Kitsap Transit coffers by over $7 million per year, giving the agency operating and capital funds of about $24 million for 2001.What’s in it for Bainbridge?* Restoration of commuter service. Key for the Seattle-bound segment of the island workforce, weekday commuter service lost to the budget ax this year will return; buses will again meet the early-early Winslow ferry at 5:30 a.m. and the 8:40 a.m. departure, as well as the early afternoon and late evening ferry runs. * Restored cross-island service. To keep highway traffic down, the No. 90 and No. 91 cross-island runs linking North Kitsap park-and-ride lots with the Winslow terminal would be extended to meet all commuter ferries.* Shuttle returns. The No. 100 Winslow midday shuttle, just coming to its own before it was axed this year, would be restored – with trips around town free throughout the day.* Saturday Access. Saturday Dial-A-Ride and Access service for local seniors and the disabled would resume.* Lower fares. Riders would get a break from the 100 percent fare increases the agency had to impose for survival this year. The regular fare would be cut from $2 to $1.50, with senior/disabled fares pared back from $1 to 75 cents. Regular monthly passes would be cut 25 percent, to $30. Early-morning surcharges also would be eliminated. Also, a new two-hour transfer plan would go into effect, to boost ridership to and from Winslow and other shopping destinations. For the basic fare, riders would get a free, any-direction transfer good for a two-hour period – making a round-trip to and from the market, for example, just $1.50.* New buses. The larger buses in the Kitsap Transit fleet are pushing two decades of service, near the end of their useful lifespans. The agency wants to begin replacing the fleet with new diesel-electric hybrid vehicles, cheaper to run and easier on the environment. The new revenue would get that capital replacement schedule back on line.Our pitch is pretty simple, says Kitsap Transit Director Dick Hayes. We lost $12.2 million (per year to I-695), and we’re asking for $7.5 million. The equation is pretty simple, too: more buses equals fewer cars on the road, less congestion, less pollution. And that’s good for all of us, whether we ride the bus or not.That three-tenths of a cent makes good sense. Vote yes on Proposition 1. “