Kingston to seek passenger-ferry service

Buoyed by a $3.5 million federal grant, the Port of Kingston is expected to submit a plan to Gov. Christine Gregoire this week to begin passenger-ferry service between Kingston and downtown Seattle.

A private company, Aqua Express, offered passenger-ferry service from Kingston, in Kitsap County, to downtown Seattle until October 2005, when low ridership and high fuel costs prompted it to abandon the route. It still holds the state permit on the route, but other companies can apply for it.

The Port of Kingston has not said what it plans to do, but Kingston has long been considered a valuable route for foot ferries, and commuters who used to ride Aqua Express have formed a nonprofit, Kingston Express, to encourage passenger-ferry service between Kingston and Seattle.

The group envisions a small ferry that would begin with 80 passengers, growing by one passenger a week, up to 500 passengers.

John Blackman, one of the partners of Aqua Express, said he didn't know the Port was preparing a business plan to send to the governor, but he said his company is prepared to bid on the service.

"We are interested in working with them to restart business," Blackman said. "We're certainly set to compete to do the route."

Winning the federal grant was a coup for the Port of Kingston. Port director Mike Bookey called it a "longshot," when it submitted its application last summer. "A lot of people are competing for it, and some better politically connected than Kingston," he said at the time. "But if you don't try, you don't have a chance."

Under terms of the federal grant, the money can be used for the purchase of a ferry or for dock construction, but not for operations.

Kitsap Transit also has been pushing to finance passenger ferries, but voters twice have turned down ballot measures to raise taxes to operate foot ferries.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com