Setting Sail
New WTA Chief Tom Bertken Lets Us Know Where He’s
Coming From – and Where’s He’s Taking Us
What made you want to run the WTA?
For most of my long professional career I
have been involved in building transportation facilities here in the Bay Area to
provide better mobility to the people living here. Although I was heading for
retirement and "the good life" when this opportunity came up I had to
change my plans. The opportunity to once again use my experience and knowledge
of area in addressing the serious transportation issues was too enticing. And
besides, my wife was concerned about having me around the house all day.
Plans for the WTA called for it to
"design, build and operate….a comprehensive regional ferry system".
Is that still the vision for the Authority?
Very much so. That’s what the law says and our job here as staff of the WTA is
to serve the policymakers on the Authority Board as best we are able in carrying
out the mandate of the Legislature. But beyond laying out an exciting vision for
the WTA the Legislature also laid down some pretty detailed responsibilities
relating to the implementation of that vision. For example, we’re specifically
required to work with agencies like the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
in taking a hard look at ridership estimates, costs and environmental issues. We
all hope the result of those studies will lead to a comprehensive regional ferry
system for the Bay Area. But if they don’t we’ll very open about it and say
so.
Environmental problems with ferries were much
in the news last year. How seriously do you take the issues raised by groups
like Bluewater Network?
I take them very seriously and so does the Authority Board. Indeed, the
legislation establishing the WTA requires us to give special consideration to
the very real environmental issues surrounding ferry service. I think there is
reason for optimism on the issue and personally expect that environmentally
responsible ferry service is very possible. But many complex issues have to be
thoroughly studied and put to rigorous scientific tests; this has not been done
yet so we simply do not know exactly what the problems are, let alone what the
solutions should be. Yet there is no denying that emissions, wake damage and the
potential harm to marine life are just some of the legitimate environmental
questions that have to be examined. You can be sure that we will look at all
them exhaustively. And we’ll do it arm in arm with the environmental
community, industry, ferry riders and anyone else with a stake in the outcome.
Communities with powerful political
constituencies like Redwood City on the Peninsula and Martinez/Benicia in the
North Bay Delta area are vying to be first in line for new ferry service. How
will you choose?
It’s not a matter of choosing. If our studies demonstrate that an expanded
ferry service makes sense, then it will make sense for both the Peninsula and
the North Bay/Delta region. And the rest of the Bay Area, for that matter.
Many public transportation advocates argue
that ferries are not cost-effective when compared to options such as buses, BART
or, for that matter, more in the way or cars and roads. Your thoughts?
These are valid questions, which, again, are to be the subject of WTA
studies just getting underway. But I feel safe in saying even now that we can
complement other public transit and create additional options for the traveling
public. What the founders of the WTA envisioned was an integrated transportation
system that so well served the Bay Area 50 years ago. Any such future ferry
system will surely include other transit as a vital component. Ferries are only
good for getting you across the Bay: once you touch shore you need another
system to get you to your final destination. So I’m quite confident that other
public transit advocates are quite quickly going to come to see us as the
natural allies that we intend to be.
Existing operators, Golden Gate Ferry for
example, were mighty jumpy about WTA being set up, fearful that it would
encroach on their turf. How do you plan to work with the current operators, both
public and private?
If they ever were, as you say, "jumpy", it was before my time because
we enjoy an excellent working relationship with all the existing ferry
operators, both public and private. Indeed, we see all of them as indispensable
working partners.
The legislature allotted $12 million for
studies; what happens after that? Will there still be a WTA two years from now?
I expect so, but that’s really for the Legislature to decide. Again, our job
is not to make a case for our own bureaucratic existence but rather to put to an
honest test the hypotheses that increased ferry service is a good deal for the
people of the Bay Area. If the answer is "yes", I’m confident we’ll
be entrusted with the funds needed to go forward. If the answer is
"no", so be it.
The Bay Area’s traffic problems are
approaching emergency status. Many people believe a regional system must replace
the existing balkanized welter of 28 competing agencies if there is to be any
realistic chance for improvement. Might WTA show the way?
That’s really not in our mandate. We have a specific, and very important, job
to do. We’re going keep our noses in our business and do the best possible job
we can do with what’s been laid before us. It’s enough, believe me.