High Tech Comes to the High Seas:

Ferries Use Technological Advances to Benefit Passengers and Operators

Back in the days of Bay Area native son and writer Jack London (1876-1916), ferries unable to navigate the fog routinely collided with other vessels and the shore. It’s no wonder these collisions occurred when fog navigation meant nothing more than keeping a close watch and sounding a whistle. After World War II (1945), radar was available for boats in the Bay, showing the worth of technology by nearly eliminating the number of collisions. Today, ferry operators are seeking more than a safe ride for their passengers. Technology is being tapped to make a more enjoyable trip for Bay Area ferry riders.

An example of how technology is helping commuters make smooth connections is TransLink®, which was tremendously successful with Golden Gate Ferry riders. This "smart card" allows transit riders to pay their fares for Bay Area buses, trains, light rail lines, and ferries using a uniform device about the size and shape of a credit card. Electronic card readers connect to the card’s embedded microchip to deduct pre-paid amounts, leaving customers free from the hassle of carrying cash and from having to produce exact change, passes, or tickets specific to different lines of transit throughout the region. The program is run by the Metropolitan Transportation Committee (MTC).

On February 1, 2002, MTC included the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transit District (GGBHTD) in a pilot project along with five other Bay Area transit providers. Other transit providers participating in the early testing include AC Transit, BART, San Francisco Municipal Railway, Caltrain, and VTA. The nine-county Bay Area distinguishes itself as the first location in the U.S. to offer a single card that can be used on all forms of public transit.

According to GGBHTD Public Information Director Mary Currie, ferries were relatively easy to equip with TransLink® because of the small number of ferry landings. Fewer points of departure meant fewer card readers to install. TransLink® has also been installed on a select number of GGBHTD buses. Ms. Currie said that new customers eager to try TransLink® on their commute will have to wait until MTC’s grand rollout of the system, expected to occur in late 2004; MTC is not currently issuing new cards.

Russell Driver, MTC’s TransLink® Project Manager, said that ferries were the most successful part of the program thus far. Specifically, he cited the small number of devices that MTC had to install at ferry landings and the ease of recruiting pilot project participants by setting up a table at the San Francisco Downtown Ferry Terminal. The cost of developing TransLink® to date: $25 million, which includes the costliest component, software development.

Ms. Currie said that lessons thus far learned included the need to accommodate various fare structures offered by the transit agency, e.g., discounts for senior, disabled, commuters, and youth. Apart from the value of customer convenience, she said that TransLink® is streamlining the auditing process. Specifically, using an electronic fare process is an ideal tool for ease of auditing, which GGBHTD must do on a regular basis.

The closest highway equivalent to TransLink® may be the Fast Track lanes offered at Bay Area bridge toll crossings, including the Golden Gate Bridge, allowing cars to pass through without having to stop and pay. Instead, the toll is automatically deducted from an electronic device mounted on the inside of the car’s windshield. The Fast Track program was implemented about two years prior to the inception of TransLink®. According to Ms. Currie, it’s been very popular, with 65 percent of drivers crossing the Golden Gate Bridge currently using Fast Track. The beta test for TransLink® is still underway, and capped at 200 ferry users. Already, those riders account for nearly 10 percent of the total farebox revenue. Ms. Currie is hopeful that TransLink® use will grow as rapidly as Fast Track has grown since its Millennium inception on the Golden Gate Bridge. Approximately 65 percent of Golden Gate Bridge users beep their way past electronic toll collection using Fast Track.

Although the Bridge District cites financial challenges as a barrier to adopting additional new technology, Ms. Currie says that they are hoping to add more customer-friendly applications in the future. In particular, the District is eyeing GPS tracking that will let customers know when to expect the next ferry or bus.

For now, happy customer Jorge Shulz, a member of the Golden Gate Ferry Passenger Advisory Committee who commutes by ferry between Larkspur and San Francisco, reports, "The ferry makes commuting fun. TransLink® makes it easy." Mr. Shulz has been commuting via ferry for 20 years and immediately signed up for TransLink® when it became available because it seemed to make perfect sense. He has successfully used TransLink® to transfer after landing by ferry in San Francisco to his next trip down the Peninsula via Caltrain. He is looking forward to the time when BART is also fully online with the TransLink® program, saying that having to purchase an additional BART ticket "is a hassle. Integration [of this program] is ideal so that there is no need to worry about ticketing and money."

Staying connected to information and e-mail messages has become an important part of life for many people who can’t afford to miss opportunities to do so. Now, passengers on Harbor Bay ferry have an extra reason to travel between Alameda and San Francisco via ferry; using this mode of transit allows them uninterrupted access via wireless internet (WiFi). Although WiFi has become a staple product offered in many cafes, this is its first maritime application.

If the example set by the availability of wireless internet access on Alameda’s Harbor Bay ferry line proves successful, Desmond Wheatley, Enterprise Network Solutions’ Managing Director, which installed and designed this application for marine use, predicts that every boat on the water will soon have it. This unique product, which allows passengers to connect their handheld devices or laptop computers to the Internet, operates through a cleverly designed system of a tower, a variety of antennaes, radios, and a switch router. Thus, there is no need to attach a computer to any type of phone or DSL cord to gain access to the Internet. Passengers are free to roam about the boat at will.