Can you WiFi on your commute? Can you read a book or knit a scarf on your commute? Many people that live in the Bremerton / Silverdale area of the West Sound do. How do they do that you ask? They work in Seattle and commute on the ferry. The Washington State Ferry System is the largest in the United States and the 3rd largest in the world! Of the 24 million annual ferry riders in the Puget Sound area 50% of those are commuters. Why commute you ask? The housing in Bremerton / Silverdale area on the Kitsap Peninsula has been more affordable than the housing in the Seattle and surrounding areas of Puget Sound for several years. People realized that you could commute an hour into Seattle from many directions but not one that offered a slower pace of life and more home for your housing dollar as the Bremerton / Silverdale area.
The Ferry is also a huge tourist attraction in Washington State, so even if you don’t commute on the ferry you will enjoy the beauty of Puget Sound on a ferry ride from Bremerton to Seattle. The first time I rode a ferry was while on vacation to the west side of the state from eastern Washington. Once I relocated to Bremerton the ferry became a great weekend “out & about”. We would pack a picnic and off we would go. Yes, I have ridden the ferry just to ride the ferry. The sights and sounds of the Puget Sound are amazing.
Bremerton WA :: Downtown :: Ferry Watching from Jo Soss on Vimeo.
Bremerton / Seattle :: Summer 2008 Schedule
This schedule is effective June 22 through September 27, 2008 The approximately crossing time is 60 minutes. You don’t need a reservation.
Click Here for Schedule ==>
You will be sailing on the M/V Kitsap or the M/V Kaleetan. The State of Washington runs the largest ferry system in the United States and has an amazing website with more information than you will ever need.
Go here ==>
Did you know that you can purchase your ferry tickets online? You can purchase and print very similar to an online airline check in. You just want to make sure you have at least 30 minutes prior to heading to the ferry terminal in downtown Bremerton because the email verification can take up to 30 minutes.
So make sure to check out the “Wave 2 Go” section. Go here ==>
If you are using the ferry system to commute to employment in Seattle you can purchase a monthly passenger use only pass for the Seattle/Bremerton run for $85.80 which will save you approximately $48.00 per month.
Here are some interesting facts about the Washington State Ferry System
- Carries 24 million riders annually.
- 11 million vehicles ride the 200 miles of marine highway
- Commuters comprise 50% of the rider ship
- There are 10 ferry routes with almost 500 sailings per day.
- Very critical link between the urban areas of the east Puget Sound area to the growing communities on the Kitsap Peninsula
- For the last 50 years West Sound residents have used the ferries to commute to the Seattle area
- Critical link for the more affordable housing on the West Sound with key employment centers on the east side of Puget Sound.
- There are 28 vessels and 20 Ferry terminals in the Puget Sound System
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[...] you ride the ferry, work on the ferry or are a member of communities that are served by the Washington Ferry System, which by the way is the largest in the country you may want to mark Saturday to help write a better ferry plan. Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor [...]