Two new Kitsap Transit centers are in the works for Silverdale and Bremerton.
The Wheaton Way Transit Center in Bremerton is currently closest to opening, with a target set for late 2019, according to Kitsap Transit. The new facility will include up to eight bus bays, shelters, 166 parking stalls, electric-vehicle charging stations, stormwater management facilities, ADA accessible site improvements, sidewalks, bike lanes, bike storage, and a bus driver comfort station.
The transit center is being built on vacant land beside new housing developments and will replace the existing transfer center that Kitsap Transit currently leases at SR 303 and Sylvan Way. KT currently operates a transfer center in the parking lot of a shopping center in East Bremerton officials say these facilities do not meet the needs of transit riders, including potential safety risks for pedestrians and motorists navigating around buses.
Kitsap Transit is also planning to construct a new transit center in Silverdale, which will include eight bus bays, shelters, vehicle parking, stormwater management facilities, ADA accessible site improvements, sidewalks, bike lanes, bike storage, and a bus driver comfort station.
The transit center is part of a larger development that includes hospital expansion, as well as stormwater and corridor improvements funded with federal, state, county and private money.
“The future Silverdale Transit Center (STC), located across from the regional Harrison Medical Center and near housing developments, improves reliability and accessibility for transit riders and enhances access and mobility within the regional growth center by connecting people to opportunities,” Kitsap Transit’s website states. “The project also provides for a signalized intersection and crosswalk, reducing safety risks for pedestrians and motorists.”
The future STC will also incorporate a highway access ramp to SR 303/NW Waaga Way and a canopy structure to protect riders from rain. Kitsap Transit plans to finalize the bid specifications in 2020 before advertising and awarding a construction contract in 2021. The project is expected to be completed in 2022, assuming no changes in anticipated funding sources, according to KT officials.
The current transfer facility is located in front of The Trails at Silverdale shopping center, under an agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation, but the center does not adhere to safety standards for pedestrian access as well as housing and services accessibility. The facility was built as a temporary solution in 2001, with a prior facility located at the Kitsap Mall for 25 years.
An open house will be held Thursday, Nov. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 1480 NW Sid Uhinck Dr., Suite 200 in Silverdale, for the public to learn about and provide input on the design of the forthcoming Silverdale Transit Center.
