Council hears requests to expand downtown shuttle, address parking and waterfront e-vehicle safety

Several members of the public urged the City Council on April 22 to take steps to ease downtown parking pressure and address safety on the waterfront path.

Erica Anderson, president of the Port Orchard Farmers Market, asked the council to support adding a Saturday stop to an existing SK Ride shuttle service to shuttle visitors from the county campus at the top of the hill to the downtown waterfront on farmers-market days. Anderson said Saturdays draw the most visitors and the shuttle would be a low-cost way to reduce circling traffic, help small businesses and make downtown more walkable.

City officials said they had asked Kitsap Transit about the proposal and were told federal rules treat ad hoc shuttle use of an existing vehicle as charter service; such chartered rides are restricted under federal transit law where routed service exists. Staff noted routed bus service already travels from downtown past the county campus. Councilmembers and residents said they remain open to alternate shuttle providers or other parking-management solutions and asked staff to follow up.

Dan Schubert, a bookkeeper at Hall and Sons Auto Repair, told council his business has no employee parking on the 500 block of Bay Street and he arrived to pay 13 parking tickets. He requested removal of the four-hour parking restriction in the 500 block of Bay Street or creation of an overnight parking prohibition, saying employees need reliable nearby parking to do their jobs.

Resident Bonnie Myers raised safety concerns about rapidly moving electric recreational devices (electric skateboards, scooters, e-bikes and similar vehicles) using the waterfront walking trail and weaving through pedestrians, strollers and dogs. Myers cited online speed ranges she found: electric skateboards 18–28 mph, e-bikes 20–28 mph, some micromobility devices up to 30–45 mph and scooters 15–25 mph, and said the mix of speeds and heavy pedestrian use makes the trail feel less safe.

Port Orchard’s police chief responded that electric bicycle classifications matter: class 1 and 2 e-bikes generally top out around 20 mph, while class 3 e-bikes can reach 28 mph and are not allowed on mixed-use paths under state rules. The chief said the city will research classifications and signage on the waterfront and work with the Port of Bremerton to get trespass signage so police can participate in enforcement efforts.

Councilmembers suggested improved signage and education as first steps and asked staff to research whether additional enforcement or local rules are permissible. Several councilmembers also noted the downtown parking question could be addressed through multiple options, including alternative shuttle providers or revisiting on-street time limits.