Kitsap Transit will operate fare-free on July 10-11 to coincide with the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and Home Run Derby in Seattle.

Travel agencies across Puget Sound are expecting high volumes of passengers for the event, last hosted by Seattle in 2001. Executive director John Clauson said the decision could once again demonstrate KT’s services to people who don’t typically travel using public transit.

“We look at this as more of an aspect of helping to draw attention to public transit,” he said. “We’re looking at what we can do to try to encourage folks to come back and use transit after the pandemic, and this might be just an opportunity that would give a little bit of incentive for folks to try us out.”

The fare-free service will apply to buses and ferries, allowing for some commuters to rely on other routes with connections to ferry terminals.

However, travelers may need to act fast on those days to ensure their place on a Fast Ferry. Clauson said, “We’ve seen already some experiences with, in particular, Bremerton, for example, because of the reduced ferry service that when there’s just a recent Mariners game that our sailings that we’re doing to supplement Washington State Ferries maxed out, and there were still very long lines at the ferry terminal to get over there.”

There was little discussion from the board, but Poulsbo City Councilmember Ed Stern offered his support for the resolution as a potential trial for moving bus service to a permanent fare-free service, which was discussed last month by the commissioners.