Kitsap Transit to run targeted late-night service, add digital signage and ambassadors for World Cup fan events

Kitsap Transit told its board it will run targeted late-night bus and ferry service on scheduled FIFA World Cup game days and deploy new real-time digital displays and transit ambassadors to help visitors navigate Bremerton and the Puget Sound.

Sanjay Bhatt, marketing and public information director, said the agency will add late service on four fixed routes — Route 108 (South Kitsap), Route 212 (Bremerton-Silverdale hotels corridor), Route 215 (park-and-ride shuttles) and Route 390 (North Kitsap) — and operate ferry “take-home” buses from Bremerton and Bainbridge Island ferry terminals to support arrivals and departures tied to matches in Seattle. The plan also includes additional Bremerton–Seattle fast-ferry sailings and added service on the Bremerton Fast Ferry and Port Orchard passenger ferry.

"We're 30 weekdays away from the first game in Seattle," Bhatt said, outlining wayfinding and information improvements at Bremerton Transportation Center and Wheaton Way Transit Center. The improvements include LCD screens inside the terminal, e-paper displays on docks with ADA text-to-speech buttons and exterior wall-mounted TVs that can switch to multilingual emergency or event information. "If there are emerging events, we can quickly update the signage," he said.

Bhatt highlighted recent rider tools that will help travelers: Tap to Pay is now live on buses and ferries, a new web page (announced to the board) will list game-day schedules, and a text-for-next-bus system has been installed at 325 stops with planned expansion across the county by the end of June. He also said Kitsap Transit will staff transit ambassadors at the Bremerton Transportation Center to help visitors and coordinate a visible information presence near the fan zone.

Board members asked whether extended hours would favor hotel guests over locals. "We're only proposing to run late on those targeted routes that would support visitors using our hotels," Bhatt said, while adding that rider alerts and community partners will be used to notify regular riders. John (Executive Director) confirmed the agency will issue rider alerts two weeks before service changes and work with chambers, hotels and partners to distribute information.

Funding for the extra activity includes a state allocation of about $315,000 to impacted Puget Sound agencies, a Federal Transit Administration allocation near $200,000 to the Puget Sound region (with restrictions tying some funds to fast-ferry service that touches the Seattle UZA), and a Kitsap County lodging-tax award (about $60,000) to help pay for digital kiosks. "We're also funding a lot of this internally," John said, adding that some federal funds can be used only for fast-ferry expenses.

Several commissioners and Mayor Wheeler urged planning for contingency scenarios if Washington State Ferries or local vessels are disrupted during peak periods. Wheeler asked whether there is a triage plan for large crowds and unexpected WSF outages; staff said they are coordinating with WSF and exploring options to bring a larger vessel into a car slip if crews and slips are available, while noting Kitsap Transit vessels carry about 118 passengers compared with Washington State Ferries' much larger walk-on capacity.

Board members praised the program’s legacy benefits: Bhatt said many of the digital-display investments are permanent upgrades that will remain useful after the World Cup. The board received the briefing and asked staff to return with cost estimates and schedule details where requested.

What happens next: staff will publish rider alerts ahead of service changes, post game-day schedules on Kitsap Transit’s website and complete planned kiosk installations and e-paper deployments across transit centers and selected stops in the county.