San Francisco Bay Ferry

San Francisco Bay Ferry
Hydrus departing the Ferry Building in San Francisco
Locale San Francisco Bay Area
Waterway San Francisco Bay
Transit type Passenger ferry
Owner San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority
Operator Blue & Gold Fleet
Began operation 1999
No. of lines 5
No. of vessels 13[1]
No. of terminals 9
Daily ridership 8,600 (Q1 2018)[2]
Website http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/

San Francisco Bay Ferry is a public transit passenger ferry service on the San Francisco Bay, administered by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA). San Francisco Bay Ferry is not affiliated with Golden Gate Ferry, which provides passenger ferry service to Marin County.

History

In the days and weeks following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, ferry service was hastily restored between San Francisco and the East Bay while the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge was closed for repairs.[3] The popularity of the revived ferries and the need for a robust ferry system in the event that the region's roads and tunnels become impassable in an emergency ultimately led to the creation of the San Francisco Bay Ferry system.[4] The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) is a government entity created by the California state legislature in 2007 by Senate Bill 976.[5] The organization was formerly the San Francisco Bay Water Transit Authority (WTA), which the legislature established in 1999.[6]

WETA has assumed ferry service previously operated by the City of Alameda and Port of Oakland.[7] The ferry lines operated under the Alameda/Oakland Ferry and Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry names. Service to the city of South San Francisco began on 4 June 2012, which also coincided with use of the new San Francisco Bay Ferry name. WETA assumed control of the City of Vallejo's Baylink Ferry service on July 1, 2012.[8] Ferry service from Vallejo to San Francisco dates back to 1986. Approximately half of the agency's operating funds come from Regional Measure 2, a $1 toll increase on Bay Area bridges approved in 2004, and the other half comes from fares.[9][10] Since 2011, the private Blue & Gold Fleet has been under contract to operate the ferries on behalf of WETA.[11][12]

WETA plans to establish new service from Berkeley, Richmond, and Redwood City to San Francisco. Its long-term vision also includes service from San Francisco to Antioch, Hercules, Martinez, and Treasure Island.[13]

As of late 2018, the WETA's fleet consists of thirteen vessels, with three under construction at Dakota Creek Industries and expected to enter service in 2019.[14] Long term plans call for an additional 44 ferries to enter the fleet by 2035.[14]

Routes

San Francisco Bay Ferry
Vallejo
Mare Island
Richmond
(2019)
Pier 41
San Francisco Municipal Railway#Heritage streetcars
San Francisco
Golden Gate Ferry San Francisco Municipal Railway#Heritage streetcars
AT&T Park
Oakland
Alameda
Harbor Bay
South San Francisco
San Francisco Bay
game day service

WETA currently operates regular weekday and weekend service from Vallejo and Alameda/Oakland to the San Francisco Ferry Building and Pier 41. WETA also runs peak commute services between Alameda/Oakland and Oyster Point in the city of South San Francisco, and between Alameda Harbor Bay (on Bay Farm Island) and the San Francisco Ferry Building. WETA also operates limited service from Vallejo, Oakland, and Alameda to AT&T Park for San Francisco Giants baseball home games.

Alameda Harbor Bay

Service operates between the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal (on Bay Farm Island) and the San Francisco Ferry Building. This service began in 1992 and was previously operated as the Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry. The ferry line provides weekday rush-hour service only. Trips are about 30 minutes in length. AC Transit Route 21[15] connects the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal with Alameda Island, the Dimond District in Oakland, Fruitvale (including the BART station), and Oakland International Airport. The Free Harbor Bay Business Park Shuttle[16] connects the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal with the Harbor Bay Business Park and Oakland Coliseum station.

Alameda/Oakland

Daily service operates between Oakland, Alameda, and San Francisco. This service began in 1989 and was previously operated as the Alameda/Oakland Ferry. Service is provided to these four terminals:[17]

South San Francisco

The South San Francisco Ferry Terminal with the berthed Taurus

Service operates from Oyster Point in the city of South San Francisco. Service began to Alameda and Oakland on 4 June 2012 and was expanded to include San Francisco in April 2013. The ferry line provides weekday rush-hour service to Oakland and Alameda, as well as leisure service to San Francisco on a limited basis. The South San Francisco location has approximately 40 parking spots. Service is provided to these terminals:[18][19][20]

Vallejo

Service operates from the Vallejo Ferry Terminal and Mare Island to the San Francisco Ferry Building as well as Pier 41 under the SFBF and Baylink Ferry names. The Baylink Ferry brand originated in 1997 by the City of Vallejo, who operated the ferry service from circa 1988 through June 30, 2012.[21]

SolTrans provides a supplementary bus route, Route 82, between San Francisco and Vallejo.[22]

Short Hop

Service between two nearby stations which do not traverse the San Francisco Bay and receive more frequent service is called a Short Hop and is offered at a discount rate. The terminal pairs designated as Short Hops are:[23]

  • Oakland – Alameda
  • Ferry Building – Pier 41
  • Vallejo – Mare Island

AT&T Park (seasonal)

The pier at AT&T park

Special service runs to a terminal at AT&T Park before and after San Francisco Giants games. Ferries leave 20 minutes after the last out, and can be held for several hours if extra innings are necessary. Service is offered from Vallejo and Oakland/Alameda.

Richmond

Weekday commuter service from a remodeled Richmond Ferry Terminal, in Richmond's Marina Bay District, to San Francisco was approved for funding and planning in 2015 to become operational by 2018.[24][25] Service is expected to commence on January 10, 2019 with commute and limited reverse commute services.[26]

Annual ridership

FY* Alameda/Oakland Harbor Bay South San Francisco Vallejo Systemwide %±
2006–07 443,000 130,000 — 897,000 1,470,000 —
2007–08 459,000 145,000 — 848,000 1,452,000 −1.2%
2008–09 400,000 143,000 — 690,000 1,233,000 −15.1%
2009–10 421,000 147,000 — 682,000 1,250,000 +1.4%
2010–11 455,130 154,000 — 697,000 1,306,000 +4.5%
2011–12 545,393 177,159 5,141 668,770 1,391,322 +6.5%
2012–13 606,960 203,131 40,505 713,300 1,563,896 +12.4%
2013–14 821,633 246,695 84,098 826,445 1,978,871 +26.5%
2014–15 911,473 266,304 107,389 858,665 2,143,831 +8.3%
2015–16 1,149,085 311,313 125,946 959,939 2,546,283 +18.8%
2016–17 1,183,188 321,289 136,320 1,000,773 2,641,570 +3.7%
2017–18 1,311,041 332,283 144,735 1,056,342 2,844,401 +7.7%
Sources:[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]

References

  1. ↑ "San Francisco Bay Ferry Fleet" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report: First Quarter 2018" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  3. ↑ Cabanatuan, Michael (February 24, 2006). "BAY AREA / Ferry godmother / After a big quake, water travel may save the day -- and lives". San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. ↑ Cabanatuan, Michael (April 13, 2006). "BAY AREA / Revived push for water-transit network / Emergency system seen as necessary after a big quake". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  5. ↑ "WETA's Role in Emergency Response". San Francisco Bay Ferry.
  6. ↑ "Senate Bill 428 Establishes Bay Area Water Transit Authority". Bay Crossings. January 2000.
  7. ↑ "Q&A: Emergency Needs Prompt Ferry Changes," San Francisco Bay Crossings October 2007.
  8. ↑ "San Francisco Bay Ferry Assumes Operation of City of Vallejo's Baylink Ferry Service" (Press release). July 2, 2012.
  9. ↑ "WETA Strategic Plan". 2016.
  10. ↑ McGall, Andrew (September 14, 2015). "San Francisco Bay ferry rider surge fuels expansion dream". San Jose Mercury News.
  11. ↑ "RFPs, RFQs, Contract Opportunities". San Francisco Bay Ferry. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  12. ↑ "'Blue Collar Green Water': The Art of Working on S.F. Bay Ferries". KQED. May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Proposed Routes". San Francisco Bay Ferry. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "PPG, MTU Power Bay Area's New Ferries". Marine Link. September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  15. ↑ 21 Schedule
  16. ↑ Harbor Bay Business Park Shuttle Schedule
  17. ↑ "From Oakland Jack London Square to San Francisco Ferry Bldg". sanfranciscobayferry.com. San Francisco Bay Ferry. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  18. ↑ http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/new-south-san-francisco-service-launches-june-4-2012
  19. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-05-06. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  20. ↑ "From South San Francisco to San Francisco Ferry Bldg". sanfranciscobayferry.com. San Francisco Bay Ferry. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  21. ↑ http://www.baylinkferry.com/about/history.php
  22. ↑ http://baylinkferry.com/schedule/baylink-bus.php
  23. ↑ "Short Hop". sanfranciscobayferry.com. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  24. ↑ Officials showcase proposed Richmond commuter ferry, Spencer Whitley, Richmond Confidential, 22-06-2012, access date 03-07-2012
  25. ↑ Goldberg, Ted (November 18, 2015). "Richmond Ferry Service to San Francisco Inches Closer to Reality". KQED. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  26. ↑ "About Ferry Service Between Richmond and the San Francisco Ferry Building". Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  27. ↑ "Short Range Transit Plan FY2012 – FY2021" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. 2012. Appendix A. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Meeting of the Board of Directors" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. August 29, 2013. Attachment 1. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Meeting of the Board of Directors" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. July 10, 2014. Attachment 1. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Meeting of the Board of Directors" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. August 24, 2015. Attachment A (Total Passengers Current FY To Date). Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Meeting of the Board of Directors" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. September 3, 2015. Attachment A (Total Passengers June 2015). Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  32. ↑ "Meeting of the Board of Directors" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. August 4, 2016. Attachment A (Total Passengers Current FY To Date). Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Meeting of the Board of Directors" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. September 1, 2016. Attachment A (Total Passengers June 2016). Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Meeting of the Board of Directors" (PDF). Water Emergency Transportation Authority. September 7, 2017. Attachment A (Total Passengers June 2017). Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Meeting of the Board of Directions". Water Emergency Transportation Authority. August 2, 2018. Attachment A (Total Passengers June 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
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