posted The Strait Shot will start service on 6/17/17 linking the Gateway Transit Center in Pt. Angeles WA with the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal. The benefit for Amtrak riders is that a carless visitor to Seattle can now take a 35 minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island and transfer to the Strait Shot at the Bainbridge Island dock for a scenic ride to Pt. Angeles. From the transit center in Pt. Angeles it's a 2 block walk to the Black Ball Ferry terminal and a 90 minute ride on the M. V. Coho to Victoria's Inner Harbour (just a short distance from the famed Empress Hotel).
The Strait Shot will be a regular 40 seat transit bus operated by the Clallam Transit System so the seats won't be incredibly comfortable and there will be limited room for luggage, but the route timings are designed to facilitate Seattle to Victoria travelers and the price is good--$10 each way. If you can pack light and are willing to trade some comfort for convenience the Strait Shot will be the easiest way to get from Seattle to Victoria without a car.
DonNadeau Member # 61606
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This is good news for budget travelers.
Have taken the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria on a clear day and the views of Olympic National Park were fantastic.
quote: the new service is a cost-effective option for Seattle-to-Victoria routing via the MV Coho ferry and a “great option” for North Olympic Peninsula travelers who don’t need a car while visiting Seattle.
So far, the service is attracting about 10 riders per trip. Clallam Transit plans to give the route about 2 years to become successful. The Victoria Clipper is much faster and likely more comfortable, but also much more expensive.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Mr. Vincent, thank you for the link.
I haven't set foot in Seattle since '79 when it was "that all folks" for the MILW. I knew Bainbridge was an island as I had taken a ferry there for a quick walk around - and before your name had to be Balmer or Bezos.
But I was unaware that the North end was bridged with the mainland.
So again, thanks.
While it would be nice if Margaret could have survived, she belonged to a world when CP was more synonymous with The Canadian than Precision Railroading (I sailed her during '74 when she was still "just the way she was").
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