![]() Measure 3, a regional bridge toll, has provided a much-needed boost to the ferry system going forward. That leads transit in the Bay Area to fight over the same funding pie. Neither the state of California nor the federal government regularly fund continuing operations of transit systems. Over 60% of the ferry system’s funding comes from fare revenue. Why wouldn’t everybody take the ferry?”Īlthough the fare reductions have recently been made permanent, the federal relief funds that helped support WETA through the pandemic will run dry by the end of this fiscal year. “You don’t have to park, you don’t have to fight traffic, you don’t have to be smushed up against people,” said Terry Winckler, an Alameda resident who commuted on the ferry to San Francisco for three years. Weekend ridership has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and weekdays are at about 60%. According to WETA survey data, the share of passengers with household incomes below $50,000 has doubled since fare reductions were instituted. The service has an industry-leading 99% customer satisfaction rating, according to a survey conducted by an outside engineering company, and 18% of riders cite affordability as their reason for riding the ferry, an 11% increase from 2017. Riders seem to approve of the ferry’s changes. “These are million-dollar views on a $4.60 ferry ride.” ![]() “In the past, the ferry has been seen as a boutique premium transit option, but that’s really not fair,” said Thomas Hall, the public information and marketing manager for San Francisco Bay Ferry. The cost of the ferry is now comparable to BART for most East Bay locations and cheaper than driving across any major bridges in the Bay Area. To adapt to that new paradigm, WETA has lowered fares, provided more direct routes to San Francisco, and adopted schedules that favor off-peak travel. Gone are the throngs of office workers and morning commuters. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, transit use in the Bay Area has shifted immensely. Now, as the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) attempts to reset that reputation, a question remains: Can the ferry overcome its structural challenges and become the go-to mode of transportation across the bay? For years, the San Francisco Bay Ferry has maintained a reputation as a luxury transit option, the “bougie” way to travel - a cruise rather than a commute. ![]() Monique Moyer, vice chair of the board of directors that oversees the ferry system, has said the region is entering another “golden age of ferries.”īut hard decisions loom. The San Francisco Bay could again be seen as a boon rather than a barrier to transportation. In one version of the ferry’s future, the service could help connect a new era of housing being built on the waterfront in Oakland, Treasure Island, and San Francisco.
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