View Rocky Point shortcut in a
larger map It came to my attention a few months ago that
there was a way to travel through West Bremerton without using most
of Kitsap Way or 11th Street. I was late in learning this, I’ll
admit, but in my defense I had used the path in the past without
really knowing it.
What I found interesting is that people use this path on purpose. If you’re traveling between East Bremerton and any part in West Bremerton north of 11th and east of Marine Drive, there is a logical path.
The regular route takes you past all the Kitsap Way businesses, then past Safeway and the Bremerton High School sign on 11th. The alternate route has you travel a scenic route on Phinney Bay, past the Hi-Lo Cafe and the actual high school, exiting at Olympic College. You can see both routes on the attached map.
The alternate path will probably get used a lot for the two months in most of June and all of July that 11th Street is closed between Montgomery Avenue and Naval Avenue. Here is the story on that closure.
I’m not sure why it makes sense otherwise. Perhaps you can educate me. On Sunday I had gone to visit my dad and the weather was wonderful and there was time available to me and the show on NPR was compelling, so I decided to drive both the alternate and regular routes and time them. Traveling from Warren Avenue to Marine Drive the time was pretty much a wash. Going the other way, however, traveling Kitsap Way and 11th Street was way faster in getting to that point where both routes intersect, Warren Avenue and 16th Street.
Did I choose the correct shortcut?
It’s getting close to 3 p.m., so maybe I’ll go try it again while there is lots of traffic on the street. Perhaps that makes a difference.
If you are a regular shortcut user, I’d love to know why.
UPDATE: I just drove the regular route again during heavy traffic and it’s still a bunch faster. As for red-light cameras, I don’t think you pass any along either way. Besides, people have been taking this shortcut for years, long before red-light cameras were introduced. I figure it’s the scenery and the predictability. With fewer lights at all there are fewer lengthy stops.
