Seattle–Bremerton ferry
The Seattle–Bremerton ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between Seattle and Bremerton, Washington. Since 1951, the route has primarily been operated by the state-run Washington State Ferries system, currently the largest ferry system in the United States. Kitsap Transit also runs passenger-only "fast ferries" service on the route.
History
The Seattle–Bremerton ferry route was once known as the "Navy Yard route". Before ferry service, the route was served by steamships and steamboats, such as the Inland Flyer. The sternwheeler Bailey Gatzert, once considered one of the most prestigious vessels to operate on Puget Sound and the Columbia River, was converted to an automobile ferry and as such became the first ferry to run on the Seattle-Bremerton route. Another vessel to run on the route was the unique "streamlined" ferry Kalakala.On December 17, 1973, the route's schedule was reduced from 18 daily sailings to 15, eliminating a previous clock-face schedule. Ridership from Bremerton declined by approximately 1 million passengers from 1978 to 1988. From 1986 to 2002, Washington State Ferries operated passenger-only service on the Bremerton route using specialized high-speed boats. After the service was cancelled, Kitsap Transit contracted with private companies to operate a similar service for several years, and later debuted its own service, Kitsap Fast Ferries, on July 10, 2017.