The Rich Passage 1, which Kitsap Transit would use for passenger-only ferry service, makes a run in June 2012. (MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN)

By Wes Larson and Steve Sego

This November, Kitsap County voters will have the opportunity to approve a high-speed cross-sound ferry system linking North Kitsap, Bremerton and South Kitsap to downtown Seattle. These 30-minute crossings are first and foremost about having better access to jobs and economic opportunity for Kitsap County. It is also about alleviating traffic, providing better access to education, sporting events, shopping and entertainment for Kitsap residents. When this rapid delivery fleet is fully operating, we will realize the benefit of additional sales and tax revenue from tourism, and an influx of new business and investment in our county.

Perhaps the greatest benefit will be a locally managed, funded and supported ferry system that will reduce our reliance on the state ferries that struggle to maintain existing service levels with uncertain revenues. Naysayers point to the cost and risk of operating passenger-only ferries, and question Kitsap County's ability to run a ferry system that is otherwise relatively commonplace in waterfront communities throughout the world. Operating a high-speed cross-sound ferry should not cause trepidation for a maritime community like Kitsap, with more miles of shoreline than any other county in our nation, and a long, rich history of passenger ferry commuting dating back to the mosquito fleet.

While the "mosquitoes" were privately run, the reality today is that all transportation systems are subsidized. It costs money to build and maintain our roads. We may not use the second bridge for State Route 520, which reduces the commute time from Seattle to Bellevue, but as taxpayers in Washington we paid for it, and we continue to pay for maintenance of all our state highways as part of a $2 billion plus biennial transportation budget funded largely by the gas tax and the MVET. To be fair, one could ask the question whether our highways are "profitable" just as one questions whether our ferries are profitable. Whether ferries, roads, rail or bus, our transportation systems benefit us all by connecting people with jobs, capital, goods and services, and doing so with maximum efficiency.

Seattle is booming, with one of the most diverse, fastest growing job markets in the world. The fact is Seattle was ranked "Number 1 for Jobs" by Forbes Magazine in 2015. Employers including Amazon and Expedia and many others are located within a walk or a short light rail or bus ride from the Seattle ferry terminal, along with the University of Washington, one of the top universities in the world. Imagine how easy it would be for you, or perhaps your children, to connect to jobs and educational opportunities in Seattle, not only from Bremerton or Bainbridge, but from North or South Kitsap as well, and in about 30 minutes. Too often our children leave the West Sound for education, business and career opportunities unavailable locally. The high-speed cross-sound ferry will efficiently link students and those seeking employment in world-class businesses with schools and jobs easily accessed from all of Kitsap County.

The cost is only a 0.3 percent sales tax — or 3 cents on a $10 purchase. The first boat is available to begin the Bremerton run in early 2017, and Kingston service would begin soon after. The investment has been made in the research and development of a technology to insure there will be no impact to the shorelines of private residences on Bainbridge Island and South Kitsap (Rich Passage). This service will alleviate traffic congestion on 305, where commuters from the "mainland" are packing the highway to access the 30-minute crossing from Bainbridge. Speedy and reliable service from Kingston and Bremerton will provide a better option for the hundreds who now pour into the Poulsbo/Bainbridge bottleneck and create a Seattle-like traffic mess.

Naval Base Kitsap is at the core of our community and is critical to our future, and we need to keep our base core intact. But to better secure our future, we need to increase our access to a greater diversity of jobs, investment, education and tourism opportunities by growing our connections to the region. These ferries are a step in this direction — and the opportunity to secure our children's future.

Kitsap County has a once in a generation opportunity to vastly improve its connection to the fastest growing city in the U.S., the best city for jobs, real estate investment, one of the greatest universities in the world, a great cultural center, and the home of the Seahawks, Sounders and Mariners. Imagine the thousands of tourists visiting the newly revamped billion dollar Seattle waterfront looking to explore the Puget Sound. If the option exists, on a beautiful spring, summer or fall afternoon, hundreds will catch a 30-minute boat to Southworth, Bremerton or Kingston, and spend their tourism dollars in Kitsap County. Kitsap will benefit from this connection in more ways than we can possibly imagine. Small business owners, homeowners, students, employers and those seeking better paying jobs and career opportunities will be among the thousands of beneficiaries of this service.

We are known here in the Pacific Northwest and in Kitsap County for our world-class businesses and professionals, who set the standard for designing and building the technology and infrastructure that leads the way in this new century. Our own local marine architects and designers are solicited by the rest of the world for their cutting-edge expertise and performance, serving marine transportation systems from Kitsap County, the Puget Sound, to Europe and Asia. Surely, with the economic opportunities, available technology, existing demand and the worldwide examples of similar marine transportation systems, we can create an efficient, reliable and locally managed 30-minute cross-sound ferry service. The only question remaining is whether we are willing to invest in better choices for jobs, education, lifestyle options, and greater opportunities for the families and residents of our community and generations to come.

Arthur "Wes" Larson owns Sound West Group, a developer of numerous projects in Bremerton and Kitsap County, and serves on the board of the Great Peninsula Conservancy and Kitsap Economic Development Alliance. Steve Sego co-owns the Central Dock Restaurant in Port Orchard and Waterman Mitigation Partners. Both are helping with communication on the campaign to support the ballot measure for Kitsap Transit's high-speed commuter ferry service.