At 5:20 a.m., August 2, the first passenger-only ferry departed Bremerton en route to Seattle since the state ferry system stopped running foot ferries nearly a year ago.

Last month, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) rejected outright an Inland Boatman’s Union (IBU) protest of the Bremerton-Seattle service, confirming its May 6 order authorizing passenger-only service on a temporary basis. The action gave Kitsap Ferry Co. the green light to begin a cross-Sound route between the two cities.

The WUTC is the state agency in charge of regulating commercial ferries operating in Washington waters. It must determine whether a need exists, whether the company making the application has sufficient resources to operate the proposed service and evaluate how it affects public agencies, such as the Washington State Ferries.

The IBU, which represents state ferry workers, had protested Kitsap Ferry’s permit, arguing that competition from private ferry services would siphon riders away from the state system and therefore threaten union members’ jobs. The union had also asserted the company was financially unstable and that the service would cause environmental damage to Puget Sound.

The IBU is the same union that after two attempts, failed to reach an agreement with any potential vendors to provide food service aboard on board the Washington State Ferry System vessels after its contract with longtime food service provider SoDexHo expired earlier this year. Because of that failure, there is currently no food service available on any WSF vessel.

The WUTC found that some of the IBU concerns were not relevant to the temporary permit, and that it failed to show its other concerns were valid. The WUTC received 100 comments from members of the public, overwhelmingly supportive of Kitsap Ferry’s permit for foot-ferry service between Seattle and Bremerton.

“The commission finds and concludes that there is an urgent and immediate need for passenger-only ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle and that granting a temporary certificate authorizing Kitsap Ferry Company to provide such service is in the public interest,” said the three-member WUTC panel.

Kitsap Ferry Co. will offer four round trips a day between Bremerton and Seattle: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. The crossing, on the 250-passenger high-speed catamaran the Spirit of Adventure, is expected to take about 40 minutes.

Morning departures from the Bremerton Transportation Center will be at 5:20 and 7 a.m., and afternoon departures from Seattle’s Pier 48 will be at 3:20 and 5:20 p.m. Full fare is $7 each way, but ticket books and monthly passes are available for commuters at a discount. A senior discount also will be available.

For more information, visit www.kitsapferryco.com.

The WUTC also approved a similar proposal for Kingston commuters as well, by approving Aqua Express’ permanent authority to operate passenger-only ferry service between Kingston and Seattle.

The Aqua Express request was approved just a week after taking public testimony in Kingston that included documentation of the community’s more than 15-year effort to have direct service to Seattle from its dock.

In its ruling, the WUTC said, “There is a substantial need for the proposed passenger-only ferry service between Kingston and Seattle, and a strong desire by the public for such a service.”

Aqua Express filed its original application in April. Evidentiary and public hearings took place in Olympia and Kingston in June and July. The company is working with the Port of Kingston to design a permanent dock for the foot ferries that will moor in Kingston and is also creating a management team.

The scheduled startup date for the Kingston service is Oct. 1 and the service will run Mondays through Fridays at commute times. Fares for the approximately 40-minute trip between Kingston and Seattle’s Pier 55 will be $5.25 one-way, with an additional $3 per bike.

Morning departures from Kingston will be 5:30 a.m., 7:10 a.m. and 8:50 a.m., and from Seattle at 6:20 a.m. and 8 a.m. Evening departures from Seattle will be 4 p.m., 5:40 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. and from Kingston at 4:50 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.aquaexpress.com.