Bus service on Ridgetop Boulevard NW is here to stay, high volumes of public feedback persuading Kitsap Transit to keep the residential street on its map while also introducing a new route through Silverdale Way NW.

The agency is making significant changes to its route structure in Central Kitsap to accommodate the June opening of its new Silverdale Transit Center off Ridgetop on the west side of the Highway 303 overpass.

Route 332 between Silverdale and Poulsbo is among the routes scheduled to change, but original graphics released by KT in March showed the bus would be avoiding Ridgetop east of Highway 303. Instead, the bus would use Myhre Road to connect with Silverdale Way, a route that executive director John Clauson said in April would take advantage of new ridership potential.

Route 333, an early morning eastbound and late afternoon westbound commuter option between Silverdale and Bainbridge Island, was set to be removed entirely.

Some of the public disagreed with the changes.

So KT came up with a solution to keep most happy. The agency announced May 7 that Routes 332 and 333 would continue along Ridgetop, while Route 331, will travel the route originally proposed for 332.

“Service between Silverdale and Poulsbo will now be every thirty minutes as opposed to every hour,” transportation and land use planner Edward Coviello said, adding Route 331 creates the half-hour frequency, hopefully shortening travel time throughout the county.

The news is a relief to residents like Roxanne Miller, who said axing the Ridgetop service would have left residents with long walks to the nearest bus stations either at Silverdale Way or the new transit center.

“I’m kind of talking for my daughter, but there’s lots of apartments there that aren’t $800,000 homes, and access down to the hospital is also important,” she said.

Other public comments said changes would have hurt nurses wanting to commute and could have been dangerous for riders in high-traffic areas with no sidewalks.

Bainbridge Island City Councilman Clarence Moriwaki was glad KT kept the 333, saying, “Many folks rely on that, and I’m glad it’s continuing there. We need more routes from Bainbridge Island actually.”

For a list of proposed changes to bus routes go to kitsaptransit.com