weta – Pacific Maritime Magazine

09 Jan

San Francisco Bay Ferry Opens Renovated Terminal

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsalameda, ferry, weta

After 10 weeks of refurbishment work, a newly renovated Main Street Alameda Ferry Terminal is now in service, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) announced Jan. 2. That means the Main Street Alameda service is back on the Oakland and Alameda, South San Francisco, Alameda Short Hop and Chase Center ferry routes. WETA, which offers the San Francisco Bay Ferry service, said the $10 million project, was completed on time and within budget. Manson Construction Co. worked on final design, demolition, construction and component fabrication of the terminal project, while Jacobs was the construction manager. The…

05 Dec

WETA Nets $16 Million Federal Grant for Ferry Electrification

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newselectrification, ferries, fta, weta

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,…

12 Sep

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

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsferries, weta

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…

14 Feb

WETA Board of Directors Gets New Member

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Pippin Dew is one of the new members of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority Board of Directors, taking over for the departing Anthony Intintoli, it was announced Jan. 12. “Ferry service has always been such an integral part of the Vallejo community and the expansion of the system has brought those same benefits to residents and businesses throughout the region,” Dew said. “I’m looking forward to furthering that progress.” Dew, a realtor who was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, served on the Vallejo City Council from 2014 through 2022. Dew currently serves as president of…

20 Dec

Survey: San Francisco Bay Ferry Riders Satisfied with Service

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsferry, survey, weta

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…

16 Aug

WETA Launches New Ticketing System, App

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsferry, weta

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority now has a ticketing system and smartphone app that make it easier for Bay Area ferry riders to pay for fares. The new system created on the Hornblower Cruises’ Anchor platform lets riders buy ferry tickets for regular and special event services through the San Francisco Bay Ferry app or at sanfranciscobayferry.com. Anchor also handles the ferry system’s paper ticket processing. For example, passengers can now use the app or go to sanfranciscobayferry.com/giants to buy Vallejo, Oakland and Alameda ferry tickets for San Francisco Giants games at Oracle Park during the…

19 Jul

WETA Nets $14.9 Million Grant for Battery-Powered Ferries

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscalsta, ferries, weta

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…

17 May

WETA Welcomes Newly Converted Ferry Back Into Service

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsbaaqmd, mvpisces, weta

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority recently welcomed back into service the 225-passenger M/V Pisces following its conversion to cleaner engines. The new engine update is expected to lower harmful air emissions by 80%, according to WETA. M/V Pisces is the first of four Gemini-class ferries in the WETA fleet to be outfitted with cleaner engines under the WETA Board of Directors’ decision last September to authorize $5.5 million toward the retrofitting effort, thanks to funding from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Carl Moyer grant program and revenue from Alameda County transportation sales tax Measure…