PORT ANGELES — Clallam Transit’s new daily bus service to Bainbridge Island is seeing a steady increase in ridership and introducing hundreds to public transportation, operations manager Steve Hopkins said.

The No. 123 Strait Shot bus had 1,044 boardings in July and will exceed that mark in August, Hopkins told the Clallam Transit System board Monday.

“The word is still getting out,” Hopkins said.

The No. 123 stops in Port Angeles, Sequim, Blyn, Discovery Bay, Poulsbo and the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort near the Agate Pass bridge. The scheduled drive time is just under two hours.

Two-thirds of the 416 who responded to an onboard survey in July said they were making their first trip on a Clallam Transit bus.

“We’re looking at new ridership, people who have never had a chance to ride with Clallam Transit before,” Hopkins said.

Clallam Transit launched the fixed-route service to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal June 17.

The cost to make the two-hour, 75-mile trip is $10 for adults and $5 for youths, bus pass holders and those who qualify for a discount.

In July, the Strait Shot drew an average of 9.5 riders on its 110 one-way trips, according to statistics provided by Hopkins.

“We’re already at 1,100 people for August,” Hopkins said Monday.

“We’re looking at probably a 15 [percent] to 20 percent increase in August over July.”

The Strait Shot had five trips in July with 20 or more passengers and 11 trips with fewer than five riders.

The Saturday morning bus has been the most popular, averaging 26 per round trip in July.

The Strait Shot leaves from The Gateway transit center in downtown Port Angeles at 7:25 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and departs from the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal at 10:20 a.m. and 8:10 p.m. on weekdays.

On Saturdays, it leaves Port Angeles at 7:25 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. It returns at 10:20 a.m. and 7:10 p.m.

On Sundays, the bus leaves The Gateway at 3:15 p.m and returns at 6:15 p.m.

“I’m pleased with what we’ve got right now as far as the ridership numbers increasing,” Hopkins told the board.

On a recent Wednesday morning, the Strait Shot had 26 riders on the eastbound trip and 23 going westbound.

“I don’t know where they came from or where they were going, but I was thrilled to see it,” Hopkins said.

“It’s sort of a crapshoot how many people will show up, but I’ve been pleased with what we’ve seen so far.”

Six of the 110 July trips arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule. Five were impacted by a closure of the Hood Canal Bridge, according to Hopkins’ summary.

Significant delays were experienced by buses and other vehicles on Sequim Lavender Weekend, Hopkins said.

About 40 percent of Strait Shot riders participated in the onboard survey in July.

Were it not for the Strait Shot, 22 percent of survey respondents said they would have traveled in their own vehicle, 20 percent would have traveled in a friend’s vehicle, 19 percent would have taken the Dungeness Line and 26 percent would have not traveled at all.

Nine percent said they would have made the five-hour Clallam Transit-Jefferson Transit-Kitsap Transit bus transfer and 5 percent listed other.

“Currently, 50 percent of our riders are Clallam County residents, which is a good number in that they’ll be with us through the winter,” Hopkins said.

“I’d like to see that steadily increase, of course, as tourism drops in the rainy months.”

Given that 67 percent of survey respondents said they were new to Clallam Transit, board member Bill Peach suggested that the agency market the new service.

Hopkins provided for the board 54 Strait Shot passenger comments.

The comments were overwhelmingly positive.

“This was a round trip for medical reasons, but now I have an easy way to visit my kids in Bremerton,” one said.

“Comfortable, cheap, relatively quick and without a complaining husband,” said another.

There will be no regular Clallam Transit bus or paratransit service on Labor Day on Monday.

However, the Strait Shot will operate on its Sunday schedule Monday.

For information on Clallam Transit, visit www.clallamtransit.com.

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.

Jeremiah Cannon was the first passenger on Clallam Transit’s Strait Shot bus service from Port Angeles to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal on June 17. (Celeste Maier)