San Francisco Bay Ferry Nets $3M for Vallejo Ferry Terminal Reconfiguration

San Francisco Bay Ferry Nets $3M for Vallejo Ferry Terminal Reconfiguration

The Vallejo Ferry Terminal Reconfiguration Project has received a boost in federal funding. San Francisco Bay Ferry on March 12 announced that it has secured $3 million for the project as part of the newly signed federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. The $16 million project, which could start construction as early as 2025, calls for moving the ferry dock further into the Napa River at the same location downtown. When completed, it would enhance “service reliability, operational efficiency, climate change resilience and the rider experience by redesigning and rebuilding a key terminal on SF Bay Ferry’s most popular route,”…
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Kitsap Transit Sees 33% Annual Increase in Ferry Ridership

Kitsap Transit Sees 33% Annual Increase in Ferry Ridership

More than 1 million passengers rode Kitsap Transit ferries in 2023, a 33% increase from the previous year, the transit agency announced Jan. 5. The gains in ridership stemmed from its three “cross-sound fast ferry routes” to and from the Kitsap Peninsula and downtown Seattle, with the Bremerton/Seattle route showing a 54% jump from 2022, Kitsap said. The Kingston/Seattle route showed a 37% spike in ridership, while ridership rose by 49% on the Southworth/Seattle route, with average passenger loads per sailing rising 35% on the Kingston service and soaring 41% on the Southworth service, the agency said. “We are proud…
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WETA Nets $16 Million Federal Grant for Ferry Electrification

WETA Nets $16 Million Federal Grant for Ferry Electrification

The Federal Transit Administration has awarded the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority a $16 million grant toward its Rapid Electric Emission-Free (REEF) Ferry Program, the transportation agency announced Nov. 30. The award means that four ferry projects at the Alameda Seaplane, Downtown San Francisco and Main Street Alameda ferry terminals are now receiving a significant financial boost from the federal government. “The grants help transit agencies make investments to increase reliability, improve connections to other modes of transportation, and bring older ferry systems into a state of good repair,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said. The four projects,…
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San Francisco Bay Ferry Posts High Reliability and On-Time Performance Stats

San Francisco Bay Ferry Posts High Reliability and On-Time Performance Stats

San Francisco Bay Ferry has been scoring high on reliability and on-time performance so far this year, according to new data released Aug. 30 by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA). Since January, the San Francisco Bay Ferry finished 99% of its scheduled trips and arrived at its destination within five minutes of schedule on 97% of its scheduled trips, WETA data show. WETA began collecting the data after it launched a real-time transit information system in 2022. The same year, SF Bay Ferry launched a new Anchor Operating System-driven smartphone app that lets users subscribe…
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$220 Million in Federal Funds Available for Passenger Ferry Projects

$220 Million in Federal Funds Available for Passenger Ferry Projects

About $220 million in grant funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is now available for projects that seek to help or upgrade passenger ferry service throughout the nation, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced May 18. About $50.1 million is available in FY 2023 through the Passenger Ferry Program, which funds projects to purchase, replace, or update passenger ferries, terminals and equipment. About $5 million is dedicated to low- or zero-emission ferries and related facilities/equipment, according to the FTA. "Passenger ferries provide critical and cost-effective travel for people throughout the United States, but they currently…
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WSF Vessel Conversion Contract Bidding Closes Soon

WSF Vessel Conversion Contract Bidding Closes Soon

Prospective shipbuilders interested in converting Washington State Ferries’ three Jumbo Mark II vessels into hybrid electric vessels in the coming years have until June 1 to submit bids. The contract represents a significant step in lowering the agency’s reliance on diesel fuel and greenhouse gas emissions for fleet operations. “Converting the three largest vessels in the WSF fleet means that we are tackling the biggest emissions culprits, with 26% of greenhouse gases coming from these three vessels alone,” according to WSF.  This move, according to the agency, is expected to decrease emissions by more than 20% from these three vessels…
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WETA Nets $14.9 Million Grant for Battery-Powered Ferries

WETA Nets $14.9 Million Grant for Battery-Powered Ferries

The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) is awarding the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority a $14.9 million grant to build battery-powered ferries and the shore-adjacent charging infrastructure needed to serve some of the most burgeoning communities in San Francisco, the WETA announced Friday, July 15. The funding would go toward building a third ferry in the San Francisco Clean Ferry Network, which seeks to link downtown, Treasure Island, Mission Bay and other SF neighborhoods. “San Francisco’s waterfront is home to some of the region’s fastest-growing new neighborhoods and this grant will help reduce traffic and improve air…
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