Project Overview

About Kitsap Way

Kitsap Way, between State Route 3 (SR 3) and Chico Way NW, provides access to homes, businesses, and parks and connects people between Bremerton and locations to the north in Kitsap County.

Originally designed as a highway, Kitsap Way has since been replaced by SR 3, which provides a parallel corridor for people driving. Approximately 11,000 vehicles each day travel on this west segment of Kitsap Way.

Today, the Kitsap Way corridor has several transportation issues that limit its benefit to the community:

  • The pavement is old and cracked.
  • There are limited sidewalks.
  • There are no bicycle facilities (e.g., bike lanes).
  • It has inadequate crosswalk locations for people walking, rolling, biking or accessing transit.
  • The multiple lanes and wide shoulders encourage people to drive at high speeds.
  • Left turning vehicles must wait to turn in through lanes.
  • The stormwater facilities are inadequate and aging.

Car driving around curve on Kitsap Way

Cars driving around curve on Kitsap Way

Did you know?

  • Over 25% of drivers on Kitsap Way travel more than 10 mph over the 35‑mph speed limit.
  • Over 37% of the corridor’s reported crashes involved a left-turning vehicle.
  • Only half of the roadway capacity of Kitsap Way is currently used.

Purpose of this Planning Study

Because of the conditions on Kitsap Way, the City of Bremerton is taking a fresh look at the corridor and how it can better meet the current and future needs of the community.

The West Kitsap Way Planning Study is determining the future design of the 1.5-mile segment of Kitsap Way between SR 3 and Chico Way NW. This study is developing a set of recommendations to improve safety, add pedestrian and bicycle facilities (such as bike lanes and sidewalks), increase access to transit, enhance access to properties and accommodate future traffic growth.

Study Considerations

The planning study is considering transportation improvements such as:

  • New lane configurations
  • Intersection improvements
  • Street and driveway access improvements
  • Lighting
  • Sidewalks
  • Crosswalks
  • Bike lanes or multi-use paths
  • Stormwater improvements

Study Area

Map of the West Kitsap Study Planning area

Map with a legend showing Kitsap Way in green to highlight the study area and circles in pink to highlight the nine intersections of the study area.

Click image to enlarge.

Legend

 Study Area (Kitsap Way)

 Study Intersection

 Bus Stop Route 212

Project Goals

The West Kitsap Way Planning Study goals are to:

  • Examine existing and future needs of all transportation modes along Kitsap Way between Chico Way NW/​Northlake Way NW and SR 3.
  • Evaluate and develop solutions that serve all transportation modes and meet the community’s needs along the corridor.
  • Develop a preliminary design, a planning level cost estimate, and an implementation plan.

The final design and construction of the corridor will occur as funding becomes available. The City of Bremerton may implement the improvements with a phased approach.

Timeline

Late 2022

  • Online open house and outreach
  • Analyze existing conditions
  • Model future traffic operations

Early to mid-2023

  • Develop corridor alternatives
  • Evaluate alternatives
  • Online open house

Mid- late 2023

  • Select preferred alternative
  • Layout and refine preliminary design
  • Online open house
  • Prioritization and phasing of improvements

Early 2024

  • Final report
  • Study completion

Community Engagement

Throughout 2022 and 2023, we connected with the community through online open houses and encouraged your insight on the corridor. Through this process, we received helpful feedback about existing conditions, needs and priorities for the future of the corridor. As part of the first open house, we conducted a survey about the issues and challenges facing Kitsap Way and the ways that people currently use and interact with the corridor. As part of the second open house, we learned about which elements of the design alternatives people liked the best.

You can review previous open house presentations and see records of these past engagement efforts here: www.bremertonwa.gov/1262/West-Kitsap-Way-Planning-Study

We welcome your feedback and suggestions on the best way to reach your community! Please email Project Manager Katie Ketterer at Katie.Ketterer@ci.bremerton.wa.us to share additional feedback.

Cars at the intersection near businesses

Looking at Kitsap Junction from the Chico Way and Northlake intersection