A Time to Celebrate

Three years ago this January, on a blustery morning on the San Francisco Ferry Building docks, Inlandboatmen Union (IBU) deckhands, led by their indomitable Regional Director Marina Secchitano, joined me to hand out the first copies of Bay Crossings to groggy ferryriders arriving on the first boat. The idea behind Bay Crossings was to educate the ferryriding public about the importance of water transit and rally support for expanded service.

I am proud to say that we have achieved great success. Our circulation has grown to over 60,000 readers each month, who pick up Bay Crossings from over 1100 distribution spots all over the Bay Area. Along the way, we helped get the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority established and funded to the tune of $12 million. And, importantly, we got Marina appointed to the Board.
And now, after two years of work, the Authority has released its plan. It calls for greatly expanded water transit service and has met wide public and editorial acclaim. Even environmentalists, formerly strong critics, applauded.

And, importantly, WTA’s work is being closely followed by waterfront communities all over the country. The stage is set for a revival of water transit on a scale not seen for more than half a century. Indeed, we have inaugurated a New York edition of Bay Crossings, which is proving even more popular than the original.

But critical work remains to be done. We must capitalize on swelling public support for water transit in order to win legislative approval for the funds we need to build out the called-for expanded system. In the short-term, we must beat back attempts to curtail existing service by motorists angered by bridge toll hikes.

This has been a fight, with ferry advocates the underdog battling powerful, well-entrenched interests every step of the way. But we’re going into half-time with an upset lead.
It’s no time to get self-congratulatory, but we owe thanks to some extraordinary folks. Space does not permit a full listing of all, but the honor roll includes:

*   The Blue Ribbon Task Force, which, under the aegis of the Bay Area Council, was convened by Mayor Brown of
San Francisco and Elihu of Oakland to lay the groundwork for the WTA and, above all, Ron Cowen, the dynamo behind it all.

*   California State Senator John Burton, the irascible, shit-kicking legislator (and long-time friend of the
San Francisco waterfront) who rammed through enabling legislation and his colleague, Senator Don Perata,
who remains a devout and
fearless champion.

*   Charlene Johnson, who upon waking up one day to find herself unexpectedly appointed WTA President, rose to the often thankless, sometimes appallingly difficult occasion with grace, skill, Southern charm and Prussian discipline. Her volunteer role has demanded Herculean effort and wartime commitment; water transit supporters can never know how great the debt of gratitude that is owed to her.

*   The ten other members of the WTA Board, busy and important people all, who lavish astounding amounts of their valuable time for meeting after droning meeting of mind-deadening reports
and testimony.

*   The Community Advisory and Technical Advisory Committees to the WTA, composed of civic leaders in many cases the equal in stature to WTA Board members, who are also no less masochistic than WTA members in the amount of time they spend attending grueling, stupefying boring meetings. Special note to CAC Chair Diane Howard and TAC Chair Mark Kasanin.

*   The mandarins of the existing Bay ferry fleet, notably Blue & Gold top dog Ron Duckhorn, Captain Dave Clark of the Golden Gate Ferry, and, Grande Dame of them all, Pam Belchamber of Vallejo, who overcame their initial skepticism to become ardent supporters and
wise counselors.

*   The environmental community, notably Bluewater Network’s Russell Long and his able colleague Teri Long, for courageously pointing out problems with ferryboats and then conscientiously sticking around
to work out solutions with WTA.

*   Tom Bertken, who with the greatest reluctance agreed to be lured out of retirement and away from dreams to travel to become CEO of WTA.

*   The WTA staff (especially Veronica Sanchez, whose nervous system, if tapped, could solve the electricity shortage) which has persevered under incredible stress.

*   The investors, advertisers and editorial contributors of Bay Crosssings, whose collective generosity knows no bounds. Special mention to Publisher Joyce Aldana – there is no finer, Art Director Francisco Arreola – there is none harder working or more talented, and Leo “Panchito” Tiente – there is none nastier.

And in a class all her own, Marina V. (and don’t you forget the “V”) Secchitano, the firebrand Regional Director of the IBU. Not a day goes by without Marina doing something to advance the cause. She can drive people crazy – the Lord above knows I can testify to that – but by sheer willpower and ferocious passion she has kept hope alive during some very dark times (see our reprint of Sausaged, which tells the tale of how she virtually single-handedly pulled WTA back from the dead).. Everyone who wants expanded ferry service should be grateful to her, most of all IBU members for whom she does so much. If there’s justice in the world, one of the first new ferryboats will be called the Marina V. Secchitano.