A Growing Need for Effective Terminal Access

By F. Weston Starratt, P.E.

As high-speed ferry service increases in popularity, the voyage on the ferry may continue to be wonderful, but the trip to and from the ferry terminal may be something else. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District’s Larkspur Landing ferry operation may be typical of the ground-based access problems faced by other Bay Area ferry systems.

When ferry service first started at Larkspur Landing, there were parking spaces for more than 1100 automobiles plus an extensive shuttle bus service. This system functioned well for many years with three medium-speed ferries in operation. Parking spaces were almost always available, even for those taking mid-day ferries.

But, the picture changed dramatically with the arrival of the new high-speed ferry, the Del Norte, which increased ferry use by 17 percent. But that’s only the beginning. The number of passengers utilizing the ferry can be expected to grow even more with the arrival of a second high-speed ferry in the summer of 2001. Traffic and parking problems have been further exacerbated with the establishment of special-event ferry service to Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco.

Today, parking at Larkspur Landing is no longer available for those arriving after the early morning commuter crush. Thus, the popularity of the ferries has caught up with and surpassed the ability of land-based transportation to adequately serve passengers, even though the Bridge District had, at one time, planned to avoid this problem by a commuter rail service.

For many years Marin County boasted one of the country’s most extensive passenger railroad systems, the North Western Pacific (NWP), with commuter service to ferry terminals in Sausalito and Tiburon. The completion of the Golden Gate Bridge put an end to the rail/ferry system, and after the suspension of service, the railroad right-of-way was gradually gobbled up, piece-by-piece through development projects. However, it still existed northward from Corte Madera when the Golden Gate Bridge District broadened its base of operation and became the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District in 1969.

One of the first acts of the new broad-based Bridge District was to acquire any portion of the NWP right-of-way that might "become in danger of being pre-empted for other use." Railroad right-of-way acquisition by the Bridge District started near Larkspur Landing and continued until the Bridge District either owns, or indirectly owns through joint-power agreements, the entire North Western Pacific right-of-way as far north as Willits in Mendocino County and eastward from Novato to connect with the Union Pacific Railroad in Napa County. These acquisitions were financed from the District’s own funds as well as state and federal funding.

At the same time, the Bridge District made a decision to alleviate growing traffic congestion on the bridge by developing an alternative means of transportation across the Golden Gate. Thus, the bridge that had put an end to Marin’s commuter rail/ferry service became the entity that would re-establish passenger ferry service. An engineering study was undertaken, and the Bridge District decided to locate the terminal for its Marin ferry service along Corte Madera Creek at Larkspur Landing. The site provided water access and was also in close proximity of the NWP right-of-way as well as parcels of former railroad property that could be used for parking. The long-term vision of the Bridge District would appear to be obvious: to provide an integrated rail-ferry service for Marin commuters.

Vision Leads to Frustration

The Bridge District made no move to operate a commuter rail service in Marin County. That was believed to be the responsibility of the North Bay counties.

In due course, as traffic congestion grew on Highway 101, transportation-planning task forces were established in both Marin and Sonoma counties. A transportation program was developed focusing on the railroad. It would be financed by increases in the sales tax. But ballot proposals to increase sales taxes in both counties were defeated since they failed to meet the mandated two-thirds vote.

So, it was "back to the drawing boards", and the counties of Sonoma and Marin formed the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Commission (SMART) to "develop an implementation plan for a start-up level of commuter rail service for the two counties." That plan has now been completed, and again, "A key element of the funding of the implementation of rail service will be contributions generated from a sales tax levied in Sonoma and Marin counties." But the big question is, "will a sales tax initiative pass this time?" Thus, funding remains a major obstacle.

Besides funding, there is another major problem. The new plan, like the previous plan, eliminated one of the original concepts for the railroad, an effective commuter rail-ferry service. The Sonoma-Marin Rail Plan does not extended rail service beyond downtown San Rafael to the ferry terminal at Larkspur Landing, stating that, "Given consideration of cost effectiveness in particular, one routing alternative quickly dropped out of further consideration. This was making the southern rail terminus the Larkspur Golden Gate Ferry Terminal. Reaching the terminal would require approximately $36 million in construction costs." But, in the author’s opinion, some of those costs figures are questionable. For example, the Anderson Drive grade separation may be the responsibility of other entities, and the elevated structure in downtown San Rafael probably would have to be constructed even if the railroad terminated in San Rafael or if it went to Point San Quentin.

Meantime, a mood of frustration appears to be settling over the Bridge District, and its board is in the process of reassessing the district’s role in regard to the railroad right-of-way. At a recent meeting of the Bridge District’s Board of Directors, there was an expression that ownership of the right-of-way is "a valuable but an under utilized resource," and some board members wondered "if we are ever going to have a railroad?" Other members commented, "we should stay involved," and proclaim that "the District supports the establishment of rail service in the North Bay." However, board members also recognized that "Marin and Sonoma counties are going to have to come up with the lion’s share of funding." Options being examined by the board range all the way from "maintaining ownership of the right-of-way and preserving it for future rail use" to "getting out of the railroad business. " Thus, the future role of the Bridge District in regard to the railroad has yet to be determined.

Other long-range options available to the Bridge District for future of commuter rail service and ferry operations in the North Bay include Port Sonoma and Point San Quentin.

Through its participation in the North Western Pacific Railroad Authority (a joint power authority), the district has an ownership role in the railroad right-of-way from Sonoma County south to Novato and east across the mouth of the Petaluma River at Port Sonoma into Napa County where it connects with the Union Pacific Railroad. As reported in the December issue of Bay Crossings, the California State Legislature has authorized funds to restore these tracks for freight service. Work has already begun, and, with an air of optimism, freight service is expected to resume from the Union Pacific connection in Napa County to the lumber town of Arcata by the end of 2001. In a later phase, it is expected that the track will be upgraded to a level capable of providing commuter passenger service to the proposed North Bay Ferry Terminal at Port Sonoma, as we discussed in the July issue of Bay Crossings.

Thus, one might wonder if passenger rail service could reach Port Sonoma before it reaches Larkspur Landing. In that regard, it should be noted that the railroad upgrading program does not involve the right-of-way from Novato south to Larkspur Landing since there are no plans to resume freight operations that ceased over a decade ago.

Does the Golden Gate Bridge District have any interest in becoming involved in future high-speed ferry operations at Port Sonoma? Perhaps.

A second long-range option that might be considered by the Bridge District for a combined commuter rail-ferry service would be the transportation hub proposed for Point San Quentin following the relocation of San Quentin State Prison, as discussed in the December issue of Bay Crossings. The San Quentin site at the mouth of the Corte Madera Creek would permit a faster ferry trip and reduce dredging costs, but the site might not become available for a decade or more. The transportation hub would involve extending the NWP track from San Rafael either along the north side of the peninsula or through the old Calpark Hill tunnel near Larkspur Landing and then along Sir Francisco East Blvd. to the prison site.

How does the Bridge District feel about the proposed San Quentin transportation hub? Our official responded, "We are supportive of the San Quentin proposal and its deep water access."

Both the North Bay Ferry Terminal at Port Sonoma and the San Quentin Transportation Hub are long-range proposals. And the arrival of the first commuter train at Larkspur Landing may be a long time off. But, the land based transportation problems at Larkspur Landing can’t wait. There are immediate needs facing commuters.

Keenly aware of the problems, the District has held public hearings to get input from ferry riders, and is moving ahead on a number of fronts to alleviate parking problems and traffic congestion. The number of parking places has been increased from 1,190 to 1,370; the Golden Gate Transit shuttle bus service has been realigned; the District has embarked on an extensive marketing campaign to promote bus service; a guaranteed high-speed ferry boarding program for bus riders has been instituted; a preferential carpooling program at Larkspur Landing has been established; and arrangements have been made to utilize the nearby Ross Valley Sanitary District’s land for parking during weekday game days at Pacific Bell Park. But, as the popularity of the new high-speed ferry has continued to increase additional measures will be needed.

The District’s short term strategies include a stronger effort to increase patronage of the shuttle bus service — currently used by less than 10 percent of the commuters — by further realigning shuttle bus service to serve communities where the majority of ferry patrons reside and by serving an increasing number of park-and-ride lots.

In addition, the District is in the process of engaging the services of an engineering/planning consultant to develop strategies to increase parking at or near Larkspur Landing, including

» Developing a parking structure at Larkspur Landing to accommodate additional parking;

» Creating an overflow parking lot on a portion of a railroad corridor owned by the District adjacent to the Marin Airporter Terminal;

» Developing a parking structure on a portion of the railroad corridor owned by the District that would not impede future use by commuter trains;

» Instituting a paid parking system that would encourage ferry passengers to utilize the shuttle bus service;

» Establishing signage to advise motorists of the availability of parking;

» Instituting a parking hotline;

» Developing other concepts that may be applicable to improving parking and reducing congestion; and

» Working with the City of Larkspur to enhance traffic circulation.

The Bridge District is making every effort to move ahead rapidly to alleviate terminal access problems encountered by passengers at the Larkspur Landing — not waiting for the long-delayed train to arrive nor for long-range programs to materialize at Port Sonoma or Point San Quentin.

Other agencies operating ferries on the Bay are or will be facing problems similar to those at Larkspur Landing and should take note of how the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District is solving its land-based access problems.