By TIFFANY ROYAL

Staff Writer

BREMERTON — After nearly a decade of trying to get any type of passenger-only ferry service from Kingston to Seattle, whether it be provided by a private or public group, a Tuesday announcement could be considered “a dream come true.”

That’s how pro-ferry resident Sonny Woodward described Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioner’s March 2 decision to allow private companies to establish foot ferry service from Kingston and Bremerton to Seattle.

“It’s a dream come true as far as what’s happened here,” Woodward said. “It’s been a long road.”

Following the failure of Kitsap Transit’s passenger-only ferry proposal in November 2003, local ferry companies pooled their resources to form Aqua Express (made up of Four Seasons Tours, Argosy Cruises, Clipper Navigation and Nichols Brothers Boat Builders) and Kitsap Ferry Company (comprised of Hornblower Marine Services and Pacific Navigation).

Aqua Express has agreed to take the Kingston-Seattle run while Kitsap Ferry Company will operate the Bremerton-Seattle route.

“I thought we should have had champagne or something,” County Commissioner and Kitsap Transit board member Chris Endresen said of the March 2 meeting and decision. “I am very, very pleased. It’s a new way of doing business for all of us.”

Endresen said she believes the proposal represents an excellent private-public partnership that will become a huge asset to the citizens of Kitsap.

“I was excited to see how transit and the private sector worked through all the different issues and the speed at which they did it,” Endresen said.

“We’re obviously pleased,” added Ron Templeton, legal counsel for Kitsap Transit. “We think it signals the dawn of the new era. We hope to see the cross-Sound passenger ferry-only service continue to grow. We hope it will grow to the point to the resemblance of the old Mosquito Fleet.”

The next step for the groups is to file an application with the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission that will authorize them to operate between Kitsap County and Seattle, said Aqua Express managing partner John Blackman.

If UTC gives its blessing within the next few months, residents could be riding the Bremerton boat as soon as this spring and the Kingston boat could be up and running by October.

In Kingston, preparation work needs to be done at the marina to allow for proper docking facilities. Inspection of onsite eel grass and addition of pilings are included in this assessment but can’t be done until June because of shoreline regulations, Blackman said.

Initially, the boats will run during weekday rush hours and routes will be matched with the Kitsap Transit Park and Ride schedules. Round trip fares haven’t been finalized, but Blackman estimated they will be in the vicinity of $10-$12.

“We believe that there will also be opportunities on weekends in conjunction with baseball games and football games,” Blackman said of use of the boats during off peak hours.

Aqua Express plans to use its catamaran, the “Aqua Express,” which is actually the former Washington State Ferry “Tyee” and has the capacity for 292 passengers. It is expected that the run will only take about 35 minutes between Kingston and Seattle.

“We hope when we demonstrate that this is a great service and it can be done successfully by a private operator, other communities are going to raise their hands (for private ferry services),” Blackman said.