Water Emergency Transportation Authority Awards Ferry Operating Contract to Blue & Gold Fleet.
At its October 6 Board of Directors meeting, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) awarded Blue & Gold Fleet ("B&GF") a five-year contract for the operation of WETA's San Francisco Bay Ferry services. San Francisco Bay Ferry, which recently assumed operation of the Alameda/Oakland and Harbor Bay Ferries, provides daily commute and excursion service between Alameda, Oakland, San Francisco, and Harbor Bay. In early 2012, San Francisco Bay Ferry plans to launch new ferry service between South San Francisco and the East Bay and to assume operation of the City of Vallejo's Baylink ferry operating between Vallejo and San Francisco. Under the new contract, B&GF will be responsible for the daily operation of all these services at an estimated five year cost of $44.5 million.
"I am very pleased with this contract award," says Nina Rannells, Executive Director of WETA. "It marks the beginning of a new era for San Francisco Bay Ferry and the continuation of a great partnership with Blue & Gold Fleet. It is great to have this long-term agreement, and we are grateful to WETA for acknowledging Blue & Gold Fleet's unique capabilities and highly skilled employees," says Taylor Safford, President of Blue & Gold Fleet. "We look forward to our partnership with WETA, and to operating expanded ferry service throughout the bay," adds Safford.
WETA was established in 2007 as successor to the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority, which had been established in 1998. WETA is mandated by the State of California to operate a comprehensive San Francisco Bay Area public water transit system, and to plan and coordinate the water transit response to a regional emergency. Founded in 1979, Blue & Gold Fleet has operated ferry service between Oakland, Alameda and San Francisco under contract with the City of Alameda since 1992. In 1994 Blue & Gold Fleet began operating ferry service between San Francisco and Vallejo under contract to the City of Vallejo. In addition, Blue & Gold Fleet operates a commuter ferry service from Tiburon to San Francisco, provides scheduled ferry service to Sausalito and Angel Island and operates sightseeing cruises that sail under the Golden Gate Bridge.