Harbor Bay News

SF Bay Ferry says that its passenger loads increased significantly in 2013 and continue to increase in 2014. The refurbished 250 passenger Bay Breeze will bring needed additional carrying capacity to San Francisco Bay Ferry’s Harbor Bay/San Francisco service thereby relieving occasional overcrowding. New control and navigation systems will reduce maintenance costs and increase vessel’s service life. Improved passenger seating, along with restroom, and snack bar renovations will enhance the already enjoyable Bay crossing. Onboard bicycle capacity increased to 32 bikes. ADA accessible restroom and wheelchair tie-downs. Improved WiFi service. Flat panel monitors for real-time vessel location display and safety announcements. Pull down trays on selected seats.

With the announcement that the BART Strike is on, the SF Bay Ferry has implemented increased service on most routes. Enhanced service will begin with a 5 a.m. Vallejo departure to San Francisco on Friday, October 18. See sanfranciscobayferry.com for all BART strike schedules. The BART strike service schedules will be in effect until BART formally announces the strike is called off. If a partial day mid-day strike occurs, San Francisco Bay Ferry will operate its strike schedule for the whole day and will return to its regular schedule the next morning. Weekend BART strike service will be provided to/from the Vallejo, Oakland, San Francisco and Alameda Main Street terminals.

With the announcement that BART Unions and BART management have requested an extension of their negotiations for another day, the SF Bay Ferry will continue with its regular weekday schedule Wednesday, October 16. If a partial day midday strike occurs, San Francisco Bay Ferry will operate its strike schedule for the whole day and will return to its regular schedule the next morning. Weekend BART strike service will be provided to/from the Vallejo, Oakland, San Francisco and Alameda Main Street terminals.

San Francisco Bay Ferry is preparing its staff and crew for a potential August 5 BART strike. Expanding the number of boats in operation during the last BART strike from 12 to 13, including two boats on-loan from Golden Gate Ferry. Normally, only eight boats are in SF Bay Ferry service. Adding an additional landing at Golden Gate Ferry¹s San Francisco Ferry Building facility to help reduce dock congestion and carry more passengers. Increasing runs between Oakland Jack London Square, Alameda Main Street and Harbor Bay, Vallejo and the Ferry Building.

With the ending of the BART workers' strike, SF Bay Ferry say they were pleased to do their part, having carried triple the number of commute passengers. Boats carried more than 54,000 passengers‹triple their pre-strike daily average. Below is a cumulative overview of total SF Bay Ferry ridership from July 1-3, 2013. This weekend, July 6 and 7, SF Bay Ferry will be running regular weekend service between Vallejo and San Francisco, and between Alameda Main Street, Oakland, and San Francisco. There will be no service to Harbor Bay or South San Francisco.

SF Bay Ferry carried more than triple its normal passenger load on the 1st morning of the BART strike. Morning ferry commute runs on services between San Francisco Ferry Building; Vallejo; Oakland’s Jack London Square; Alameda Main Street; Harbor Bay; South San Francisco and Pier 41 saw a surge in passenger numbers on Monday, July 1, 2013, the first day of the BART workers' strike. SF Bay Ferry report that the normal average commute would have been 2,500 passenger for the morning, but in fact 7,835 commuters took the ferries to work.

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.

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and the City of Alameda today announced that starting June 8, Alameda Harbor Bay ferry riders will be treated to a daily ferry commute onboard Pisces, the Bay Area’s newest ferry. Pisces’ interior design responds to Bay Area commuters' desire for convenience and comfort. The ferry has several seating options to maximize passenger comfort, plus room for 34 bicycles, 20% more capacity than similar sized ferries on the Bay. Pisces will initially be used on the afternoon Harbor Bay ferry service to San Francisco, sharing service with the Bay Breeze--the existing primary vessel for Harbor Bay.

Under new state legislation passed last year the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) was charged with consolidating City of Alameda and City of Vallejo ferry services and all planned public transportation ferries under WETA. WETA also has expanded responsibility for coordinating emergency response activities for public waterborne transit services. These responsibilities are to be carried out in accordance with a Transition Plan and an Emergency Water Transportation System Management Plan. WETA is required to create and adopt both plans by July 1, 2009 and to take public input prior to their adoption.

Another Nichols Brothers catamaran joined the commuter fleet on San Francisco Bay in November. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Inc., of Whidbey Island, Wash., delivered a Cummins-powered, 112-ft. vessel for service between Alameda, Oakland, and San Francisco. The 315-passenger catamaran, M/V Peralta, will be operated by the Alameda/Oakland Ferry Service, with the Blue and Gold Fleet providing maintenance and engineering services. As with the 27 other catamarans built by Nichols Brothers, the vessel was designed by International Catamaran Designs of Sydney, Australia. Commuter route for the Peralta includes the ports of Alameda and Oakland and the ferry landing on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.