San Francisco Bay Ferry Explained

San Francisco Bay Ferry
Locale:San Francisco Bay Area
Waterway:San Francisco Bay
Transit Type:Passenger ferry
Began Operation:2011 (consolidation of existing service)
Lines:6 (plus 5 special)
Vessels:13[1]
Terminals:9
Daily Ridership:
Yearly Ridership:
Operator:Blue & Gold Fleet
Owner:San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority
Map State:0
Map Name:Route map

San Francisco Bay Ferry is a public transit passenger ferry service in the San Francisco Bay, administered by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and operated under contract by the privately owned, Blue and Gold Fleet. In, the system had a ridership of, or about per weekday as of .

San Francisco Bay Ferry is a different system from Golden Gate Ferry, which provides passenger ferry service between San Francisco and Marin County.

Routes

San Francisco Bay Ferry operates six ferry routes:

There are two "short hop" routes that do not cross the bay:

There are also three seasonal sports routes:

History

Vallejo

Commuter service to Vallejo began in September 1986. It operated by Red & White Fleet without subsidy, though Vallejo funded the simultaneously-opened ferry terminal. The company lost money on the commuter service; in October 1988, the city began subsidizing service. The passage of Regional Measure 1 the next month provided additional funding. After the 1989 earthquake, service was temporarily increased using three ferries rented from the Washington State Ferries system. The 1990 passage of Proposition 116 provided $10 million for the purchase of new vessels, with an additional $17 million from the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. A new vessel (MV Jet Cat Express) and a new operator (Blue & Gold Fleet) began operations on July 1, 1994. Two high-speed catamarans (MV Intintoli and MV Mare Island) were put into service in May 1997 under a new Baylink brand. The MV Solano was added in 2004, allowing an increase from 11 to 15 daily round trips.[4] This link is part of the Western Express Bicycle Route, and is also part of US Bike Route 50.

Emergency service

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.[5] After the Bay Bridge reopened in November 1989, service between Jack London Square, Main Street Alameda, and the San Francisco Ferry Building was maintained as the Alameda/Oakland Ferry, managed by the City of Alameda and operated by Red & White Fleet with funding from local governments and Caltrans.

In March 1992, Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry service was begun between Harbor Bay ferry terminal on Bay Farm Island and the San Francisco Ferry Building. It was initially funded by Harbor Bay Isle Associates, the master real estate developer of the Harbor Bay development.

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.[6] 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.[7] The organization is a successor to the San Francisco Bay Water Transit Authority (WTA), which the legislature established in 1999.[8] [9]

Consolidation and expansion

WETA assumed responsibility and ownership of the SF–Oakland/Alameda and SF–Harbor Bay ferry services previously operated by the City of Alameda in May 2011 and January 2012 respectively.[10] Service between Oakland Ferry Terminal and the city of South San Francisco began on June 4, 2012, which also coincided with use of the new San Francisco Bay Ferry name.[11] [12] [13] WETA assumed control of Vallejo Baylink service on July 1, 2012.[14] 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.[15] [16] Since 2011, the private Blue & Gold Fleet has been under contract to operate the ferries on behalf of WETA.[17]

On April 29, 2013, a third evening trip from South San Francisco to Oakland was added, as well as a midday leisure-oriented round trip on Wednesdays and Fridays between South San Francisco and Pier 41 via the Ferry Building.[18] South San Francisco–Ferry Building service was expanded to Monday through Friday on November 3, 2014, with the Pier 41 segment dropped.[19] The single reverse commute trip on the South San Francisco–Oakland/Alameda route was dropped on May 4, 2015, leaving only three peak-direction round trips.[20] South San Francisco–Ferry Building service ended on July 2, 2018.[21]

Seasonal direct service between Oakland/Alameda and Angel Island ended on October 26, 2014; timed transfers at Pier 41 for Blue & Gold Fleet service to Angel Island were introduced beginning with the 2015 summer season.[22] [23] On January 2, 2017, WETA increased weekday Vallejo service to 14 southbound and 13 northbound trips, with route 200 bus service discontinued.[24] SolTrans began operating a single northbound route 82 bus trip via the Ferry Building in the late evening, intended for passengers who miss the last ferry to Vallejo.[25] On March 6, 2017, service to Mare Island began as a short extension of Vallejo service. Initially, seven weekday round trips and four weekend round trips were extended to Mare Island.[26]

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.[27] [28] Service commenced on January 10, 2019 with commute and limited reverse commute services.[29] Weekday peak and evening service between the San Francisco Ferry Building and the Alameda Seaplane Lagoon on the southern shore of Alameda Island began July 1, 2021.[30]

Future expansion

An additional terminal in Mission Bay intended to serve events at Chase Center is expected to open in 2024 at the foot of 16th Street,[31] [32] with an interim terminal currently located at Pier 48.[33]

WETA plans to establish new service from Berkeley and Redwood City to San Francisco. Its long-term vision also includes service from San Francisco to Antioch, Hercules, Martinez, and Treasure Island.[34] WETA projects the fleet to increase from 13 to 57 vessels by 2035 to accommodate these new services plus frequency increases on existing routes.[35]

Annual ridership

Alameda/OaklandHarbor BayRichmondSouth San FranciscoVallejoSystemwide
2006–07 - - -
2007–08 - - −1.2%
2008–09 - - −15.1%
2009–10 - - +1.4%
2010–11 - - +4.5%
2011–12 - +6.5%
2012–13 - +12.4%
2013–14 - +26.5%
2014–15 - +8.3%
2015–16 - +18.8%
2016–17 - +3.7%
2017–18 - +7.7%
2018–19+7.18%
Sources:[36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44]

Fleet

As of early 2023, the WETA's fleet consists of seventeen vessels,[45] with one under construction at Mavrik Marine and expected to enter service in 2023.[46] Long term plans call for an additional 44 ferries to enter the fleet by 2035.[35]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: San Francisco Bay Ferry Fleet . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . May 12, 2017.
  2. Web site: San Francisco Bay Ferry. May 19, 2021. San Francisco Bay Ferry. en-US.
  3. Web site: South San Francisco Ferry Route. August 2, 2021. San Francisco Bay Ferry. en-US.
  4. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20130517185346/http://www.baylinkferry.com/about/history.php . May 17, 2013 . The History of Vallejo Ferry Service . Baylink.
  5. News: BAY AREA / Ferry godmother / After a big quake, water travel may save the day -- and lives . Michael . Cabanatuan . February 24, 2006 . San Francisco Chronicle.
  6. News: BAY AREA / Revived push for water-transit network / Emergency system seen as necessary after a big quake . Michael . Cabanatuan . April 13, 2006 . San Francisco Chronicle . January 9, 2016.
  7. Web site: WETA's Role in Emergency Response . San Francisco Bay Ferry.
  8. Web site: Senate Bill 428 Establishes Bay Area Water Transit Authority . Bay Crossings . January 2000.
  9. Web site: Water Emergency Transportation Authority Draft Final Transition Plan. Water Emergency Transportation Authority. October 22, 2022. June 18, 2009.
  10. Web site: 2020 Short Range Transit Plan. 11–12. Water Emergency Transportation Authority. October 22, 2022.
  11. Web site: New South San Francisco Service Launches June 4, 2012 | San Francisco Bay Ferry . June 11, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120711114112/http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/new-south-san-francisco-service-launches-june-4-2012 . July 11, 2012 . dead .
  12. Web site: SFBF to Expand South San Francisco Service | San Francisco Bay Ferry . May 25, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130506041028/http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/sfbf-expand-south-san-francisco-service . May 6, 2013 .
  13. Web site: From South San Francisco to San Francisco Ferry Bldg. sanfranciscobayferry.com. San Francisco Bay Ferry. 1 June 2017.
  14. San Francisco Bay Ferry Assumes Operation of City of Vallejo's Baylink Ferry Service . July 2, 2012.
  15. Web site: WETA Strategic Plan . 2016.
  16. News: San Francisco Bay ferry rider surge fuels expansion dream . Andrew . McGall . September 14, 2015 . San Jose Mercury News.
  17. Web site: WATER EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY AWARDS FERRY OPERATING CONTRACT TO BLUE & GOLD FLEET . October 11, 2011 . San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority.
  18. SFBF to Expand South San Francisco Service . https://web.archive.org/web/20130506041028/http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/sfbf-expand-south-san-francisco-service . May 6, 2013 . San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority . April 4, 2013.
  19. Web site: From South San Francisco to San Francisco Ferry Bldg . https://web.archive.org/web/20150430014553/http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/route/ssf/sffb . April 30, 2015 . San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority . June 1, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
  20. San Francisco Bay Ferry . Bay Crossings . 25 . May 2015 . 16 . 5.
  21. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20181206003306/https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/route/ssf/sffb . December 6, 2018 . South San Francisco to San Francisco Ferry Bldg . San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority.
  22. Web site: From Oakland Jack London Square to Angel Island . https://web.archive.org/web/20140922005111/http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/route/oakland/angel . September 22, 2014 . San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority . April 27, 2019 . live . mdy-all .
  23. Web site: Getting to Angel Island State Park From Alameda, Oakland or Vallejo . https://web.archive.org/web/20150429040610/http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/route/oakland/angel . April 29, 2015 . San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority . April 27, 2019 . live . mdy-all .
  24. Enhanced Vallejo Ferry Weekday Schedule In Effect Beginning January 2, 2017 . San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority.
  25. New SolTrans Route 82 to Replace WETA's Route 200 Late Night Trips . Solano County Transit . December 29, 2016.
  26. Mare Island Ferry service begins on March 6, 2017 . San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority.
  27. http://richmondconfidential.org/2012/06/22/officials-showcase-proposed-richmond-commuter-ferry/ Officials showcase proposed Richmond commuter ferry
  28. News: Richmond Ferry Service to San Francisco Inches Closer to Reality . Ted . Goldberg . November 18, 2015 . KQED . March 9, 2016.
  29. Web site: About Ferry Service Between Richmond and the San Francisco Ferry Building. 24 September 2018.
  30. News: Celebrating New Ferry. Potter. Pat. Alameda Sun. October 22, 2022. July 6, 2021.
  31. Web site: Mission Bay Ferry Landing . Port of San Francisco . 23 April 2019.
  32. News: Rodriguez . Joe Fitzgerald . Who needs cars? Aggressive transit plan for Chase Arena discourages driving . 17 April 2019 . San Francisco Examiner . 16 April 2019.
  33. News: Keeling . Brock . New ferry service coming to Mission Bay . 23 April 2019 . Curbed . 17 April 2019.
  34. Web site: Proposed Routes . San Francisco Bay Ferry . March 9, 2016.
  35. Web site: September 18, 2018 . PPG, MTU Power Bay Area's New Ferries . September 19, 2018 . Marine Link.
  36. Web site: Short Range Transit Plan FY2012 – FY2021 . Appendix A . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . 2012 . January 9, 2016.
  37. Web site: Meeting of the Board of Directors . Attachment 1 . August 29, 2013 . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . January 9, 2016.
  38. Web site: Meeting of the Board of Directors . Attachment 1 . July 10, 2014 . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . January 9, 2016.
  39. Web site: Meeting of the Board of Directors . Attachment A (Total Passengers Current FY To Date) . August 24, 2015 . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . May 12, 2017.
  40. Web site: Meeting of the Board of Directors . Attachment A (Total Passengers June 2015) . September 3, 2015 . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . May 12, 2017.
  41. Web site: Meeting of the Board of Directors . Attachment A (Total Passengers Current FY To Date) . August 4, 2016 . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . May 12, 2017.
  42. Web site: Meeting of the Board of Directors . Attachment A (Total Passengers June 2016) . September 1, 2016 . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . May 12, 2017.
  43. Web site: Meeting of the Board of Directors . Attachment A (Total Passengers June 2017) . September 7, 2017. Water Emergency Transportation Authority . April 16, 2018.
  44. Web site: Meeting of the Board of Directions . Attachment A (Total Passengers June 2018 . August 2, 2018 . Water Emergency Transportation Authority . May 12, 2017.
  45. Web site: San Francisco Bay Ferry . 2023-04-13 . FerryRiders.com . en-US.
  46. Web site: Cano . Ricardo . 2022-06-16 . This ‘high-speed’ ferry is now traversing the S.F. Bay. Here’s how you can catch a ride . 2023-04-13 . San Francisco Chronicle . en-US.

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