What you need to know about the temporary Main St. Alameda terminal closure

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE TEMPORARY MAIN ST. ALAMEDA CLOSURE

The Main Street Alameda Ferry Terminal will be closed for refurbishment from October 23, 2023 through January 1, 2024. During this time, ferries will not stop at this terminal.

During the closure:

Downtown S.F. bound riders will use the Alameda Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal (1701 Ferry Point Rd). Weekday and limited weekend service will be available during the closure.
Ferries to South San Francisco will only be available out of the Oakland Ferry Terminal (10 Clay St). Ferries will NOT stop at the Main Street Alameda Terminal. Free validated parking is available at Washington St. Garage near the Oakland Ferry Terminal.
The Alameda Short Hop will be suspended. Ferry service between Alameda and Oakland will not be operating during this schedule period.
Ferry service to Chase Center will only be available from the Oakland Ferry Terminal (10 Clay St). Ferries will NOT stop at the Main Street Alameda Terminal. Reservations are strongly recommended.

The Main Street Alameda Ferry Terminal Refurbishment Project is a major construction project that includes the repair and replacement of the existing aging terminal infrastructure to bring the site into compliance with current seismic safety requirements. Design elements also prepare the terminal for future fleet electrification needs. Upon completion of the project, passengers will see direct benefits like more efficient ferry operations and modernized terminal lighting.

Effective January 2, 2024, service at Main Street Alameda is planned to resume on the Oakland & Alameda, South San Francisco, Alameda Short Hop, Oracle Park and Chase Center ferry routes. More details will become available closer to that date.

To learn more about this closure and these service changes visit sfbf.mobi/msa-closure.

YOUR FAVORITE LIBRARY BRANCH IS NOW ON THE FERRY

San Francisco Bay Ferry has partnered with the San Francisco Public Library to help riders get their reading or listening fix on transit.

Under the partnership, ferry riders can scan a QR code posted on the vessels to receive access to a digital San Francisco Public Library collection for three weeks with no sign-up necessary. After three weeks, users will need to sign up for a free San Francisco Public Library card, which is available to non-residents. After that, ferry riders can continue to access SFPL’s amazing digital collections.

To get the QR code, look for the posters on the main deck of your ferry. You can sign up for an SFPL card at the Library’s website.

SF BAY FERRY RELEASES RELIABILITY DATA, COMMITS TO IMPROVEMENTS

WETA, the agency that provides San Francisco Bay Ferry service, recently released year-to-date reliability and on-time performance data and announced improvements aimed at ensuring a better passenger experience and fewer disruptions.

Based on data collected since January 2023, this year to date San Francisco Bay Ferry has completed 99% of its scheduled trips, and 97% of scheduled trips have arrived at their destination within five minutes of the scheduled time.

This reliability and on-time performance data is available thanks to WETA’s 2022 launch of a real-time transit information system powered by Swiftly. In 2022 the ferry system also launched a new smartphone app powered by Anchor Operating System that allows users to subscribe to real-time rider alerts, providing easier access to service disruption information.

"Overall, we’re proud of San Francisco Bay Ferry’s high levels of reliability and on-time performance, but over the last several months, the service has been challenged by equipment failures and vessel availability, and we know there is opportunity to improve," said WETA Executive Director Seamus Murphy. "Every major delay or cancellation is an enormous inconvenience for our passengers, and we owe it to them to do everything we can to minimize disruptions."

To that end, WETA has announced the following commitments towards maintaining service reliability:

Hiring of a third party engineering firm to review the agency’s engineering and maintenance program and make recommendations to minimize mechanical failures.
Deploy additional engineering resources to expedite the repair of out-of-service vessels.
Publish monthly summary report of reliability and on-time performance on its website beginning in September.
Deploy text message rider alert functionality that will allow passengers to subscribe to notifications based on the routes, days and times they ride the ferry.

LET'S CELEBRATE TRANSIT MONTH

It’s September, which mean it’s time to join us in celebrating Transit Month and the buses, trains, ferries and people that help us get around the Bay. During Transit Month, you can look forward to a regional ride contest with prizes and tons of exciting, transit-themed regional activities. Last year, riders logged almost 3,000 transit trips in the Ride Contest, covering every transit agency in the Bay Area. There are even prizes for logging the most ferry rides in the month.

There are two ferry-specific events happening this year.

On Saturday, September 16, we’re partnering with Transbay Coalition, the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter Trust, the Columbia Sportwear Employee Store, and Assemble Marketplace to host the inaugural Rosie Ride. On this adventure, participants will take the ferry from S.F. to Richmond and enjoy a guided tour of the national park’s museum with some goodies from the partners. Reservations are sold out for the September 16 event, but we’re looking forward to offering more guided trips in the coming years. You are always welcome to take an unguided trip to the Rosie the Riveter NHP via the Richmond ferry – the terminal is a short 5-minute walk from the museum.

We look forward to seeing you onboard as we celebrate Ferry Rider Appreciation Day on Thursday, September 28. We’ll be celebrating our riders at the Downtown S.F. Terminal from 3-6 PM with special limited editions ferry buttons – make sure you stop by to grab one while queuing up before your afternoon commute! (South S.F. riders, we’ll have you covered on the ferry.)

Learn more about Transit Month and the exciting events going on by visiting sftransitriders.org/transitmonth/.

FEEDBACK NEEDED ON VALLEJO RECONFIGURATION OPTIONS

WETA, the agency that provides San Francisco Bay Ferry service, needs your feedback on proposed changes to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal.

The Vallejo route is the busiest in the system, carrying nearly 600,000 passengers in 2022. Increasing amounts of silt build up in the Vallejo Ferry Terminal basin, requiring maintenance dredging and occasionally service disruptions during low-tide events.

The rate of siltation in the Napa River has drastically increased in the last decade. That means more frequent dredging and disruption. Each dredging episode costs WETA nearly $2 million, an expense expected to increase over time. The proposed Vallejo Ferry Terminal Reconfiguration Project will relocate the float away from the basin area where the heaviest accumulation of sediment occurs, thereby reducing the need to dredge frequently and saving WETA up to approximately $21 million over the next 20 years.

Just as important as the cost savings this project would have on strained budgets, a reconfigured terminal will reduce low-tide service disruptions for passengers and speed up the docking and embarkation process for captains.

WETA and its consultants have developed three alternatives for the terminal configuration as environmental review begins. Passenger feedback will be an important factor in the eventual selection of a preferred option.

You can see the options and share your preference in a brief survey.

WETA is also planning some pop-up events in the coming weeks.

September 23: Vallejo Farmer’s Market
Week of October 2: Virtual Meeting (details to be announced soon)

More information about the project is available on the WETA website.

FERRY TALES: JIM E.

Why is SF Bay Ferry the best way to cross the bay?

No traffic, views for days, and a seamless commute.

What is your favorite ferry memory?

Taking my daughter and her friend into San Francisco from Oakland for a 5th grade field trip. It was their first time on a ferry and they LOVED it! I'll never forget their awe and excitement of being on the Bay and traveling under the bridge.

How would you describe the atmosphere on the ferry?

Serene and calm.

What is your favorite ferry amenity?

The ability to enjoy a cold one on board.

Describe San Francisco Bay Ferry in one word.

Unmatched.

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