Additional Benefits

Green Transportation

Streetcars are powered by electricity. Here in the Pacific Northwest, 60% of the electricity is produced from hydropower, and Washington State mandates at least 15% of the remaining power be produced from other renewable sources. This makes streetcars a far more green solution than automobiles or buses.

In addition to the direct savings on emissions, moving the feeder bus routes away from the ferry terminal (to meet the streetcar at the major intersections) will save additional fuel consumption. Having more park-and-rise will also shorten car rides.

Future Proof

Neither self-driving cars nor car-on-demand services like Uber can solve the problem of 5,000 commuters trying to reach an hourly ferry, plus thousands more commuting by car onto Bainbridge Island each day. There simply isn’t enough space on Highway 305 or drop-off space at the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal for everyone to travel in a single occupancy vehicle.

The streetcar system, as described, works well with these future solutions. The feeder bus routes could some day be replaced with self-driving vans or on-demand human drivers, who then drive only a few minutes from the streetcar line to the final destination.

Tourism

Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo and Kingston are all tourist destinations. The Kitsap Streetcar would serve these tourists, providing a means of transportation across North Kitsap, while potentially alleviating the 1-2 hour ferry waits on summer weekends.

The Costs

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