San Francisco Bay Ferry is a 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 Franciscoâ€"Oakland Bay Bridge was closed for repairs. 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. 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. The organization was formerly the San Francisco Bay Water Transit Authority (WTA), which the legislature established in 1999.
WETA has assumed ferry service previously operated by the City of Alameda and Port of Oakland. 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. 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. Since 2011, the private Blue & Gold Fleet has been under contract to operate the ferries on behalf of WETA.
WETA plans to establish new service from Berkeley and Richmond to San Francisco. Its long-term vision also includes service from San Francisco to Antioch, Hercules, Martinez, Redwood City, and Treasure Island.
Routes
WETA currently operates regular passenger ferry service from Oakland and Alameda to the San Francisco Ferry Building, Pier 41, Angel Island, and Oyster Point in the city of South San Francisco. It also operates limited service from Vallejo, Oakland and Alameda to AT&T Park for San Francisco Giants baseball home games.
Free parking is available at the Oakland, Alameda, and South San Francisco ferry terminals. Paid parking is limited, but available, at San Francisco's ferry terminals.
Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry
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.
Alameda/Oakland Ferry
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:
- Gateway Center, 2991 Main Street, Alameda
- Clay Street Terminal, 530 Water Street, Jack London Square, Oakland
- Ferry Building, San Francisco
- Pier 41, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
South San Francisco
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:
- Gateway Center, 2991 Main Street, Alameda
- Clay Street Terminal, 530 Water Street, Jack London Square, Oakland
- Ferry Building, San Francisco
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.
SolTrans provides a supplementary bus route, Route 200, between San Francisco and Vallejo.
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:
- Oakland â€" Alameda
- Ferry Building â€" Pier 41
AT&T Park (seasonal)
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 (planned)
Weekday commuter service from Richmond to San Francisco was approved for funding and planning in 2015 to become operational by 2018 at a remodeled Richmond Ferry Terminal, in Richmond's Marina Bay District.
Fares
One-way fares, as of July 1, 2017, vary depending on route:
Adult and youth Short Hop tickets are $1.60, and the seniors, disabled, and Medicare fare is $0.75. A monthly pass is available on the Vallejo route.
Annual ridership
References
External links
- Official website
- Water Emergency Transportation Authority
