San Francisco Bay Ferry scored high among riders, achieving a 99% rating in rider satisfaction for service, according to data released Dec. 8 by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA).
The 2022 passenger survey, performed in July and August 2022 by CDM Smith, included feedback from “a statistically valid sample of 963 San Francisco Bay Ferry passengers to help identify changes in rider demographics and sentiments in the wake of major fare cuts and service increases as a part of WETA’s Pandemic Recovery Program, instituted in July 2021.”
The survey says that rider satisfaction has been WETA’s highest rating, surpassing the 88% rating in 2017. It also notes that 42% of passengers surveyed were new riders who didn’t use the service before 2020.
More riders said they chose the ferry over other modes of travel because of affordability, from 7% in 2017 to 18% in 2022, the survey also said.
“It’s hard to do better than 99%, and we have the excellent work of our captains and crews to thank,” WETA Executive Director Seamus Murphy said. “In an effort to maximize ridership return, we’ve prioritized passenger experience over the last year, and it’s great to see those efforts pay off.”
“I’m especially proud that the number of riders who are ‘very satisfied’ with the service has doubled during pandemic recovery from 38% to 76%,” he added.
San Francisco Bay Ferry has reached close to 80% of pre-pandemic ridership every month for the last three months, the agency said.
The full survey results are available at https://weta.sanfranciscobayferry.com/publications/passenger-survey-2022 .
