SF Bay Ferry Marks Year of Great Accomplishments
Last Thursday (Jan. 25) Bay Area Council leadership and members joined the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) at the State of the SF Bay Ferry event onboard a vessel to celebrate all that the regional ferry agency accomplished over the past year. Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman, who also serves as the Chair of the WETA Board of Directors, kicked off the event highlighting the incredible progress the ferry system has made in recovering more riders since the pandemic than any other transit system.
In fact, San Francisco Bay Ferry riders gave the system a 99% satisfaction rating this year, which is an extraordinary endorsement for a transit system that has worked hard to reimagine its service and fare structure post-pandemic to be a more accessible, equitable, and relevant travel option to more of the region’s residents. Ferries also offer a unique opportunity to connect new waterfront neighborhoods that are popping up around the region, where so much of the Bay Area’s planned housing and commercial development is concentrated.
The Council led the creation of the modern ferry system and has been a vocal and active proponent of expanding service to provide commuters with an alternative to driving alone in their cars and for the important role ferries can play in activating our valuable waterfronts and providing new opportunities for jobs, housing and public access. And through our Waterfront Mobility Committee, we remain deeply engaged in these issues.
At the event last week, WETA Executive Director Seamus Murphy also updated the group on the tremendous progress the ferry agency made over the past year in transitioning to a zero-emission ferry fleet, securing grants from local, state, and federal partners to support the first phase of its planned zero-emission ferry network. SF Bay Ferry will launch its first-in-the-nation zero emission vessels in the coming years. To engage in the Council’s Waterfront Mobility Committee, please contact Vice President Emily Loper.
