In the era of Homeland Security regulations, achieving both the safety and the comfort of ferry passengers has become a challenge. At the Port of San Francisco, the immediate question is this: How will passengers boarding a ferry from San Francisco stay dry in the rain if security regulations limit their access to weather-protected docks to times when the docks are manned? How can this problem be avoided in building future ferry terminals?
Tables and chairs get in the way of ferry passengers lining up underneath the awning during inclement weather
Published: January, 2005
Ferry Operators Seek Quick Solutions
Vallejo Baylink ferryboats have (regretfully) left customers at the docks when boats were full to capacity. Nonetheless, Vallejo Mayor Anthony Intintoli, who also sits on the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA) Board of Directors, said, “I’m concerned that Vallejo’s ferryboat riders will get discouraged during the rainy season and that it will take a while to lure passengers back onboard. Public transit has already suffered an economic downturn. We can’t afford more bad news.”
Alameda/Oakland Ferry Service (AOFS) and Vallejo’s Baylink, through their contracts with Blue and Gold Fleet, have instituted a quick and dirty solution for its passengers by hiring a customer service representative to hold open the gate and allow passengers to enter the covered docks prior to boarding.
Jim Swindler, General Manager of Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transit District, said, “Golden Gate Ferry ridership can certainly drop in inclement weather. One of the benefits that our ferry terminal has that most other Bay Area operators don’t enjoy is enclosed passenger waiting areas that can also double as ‘secure passenger areas.’ We can easily set aside a covered area that allows passengers to be screened and then proceed to another area of the terminal that is also under cover.”
Silver Lining in the Clouds
Antonette Sespene is one of two customer service agents at the Downtown Ferry Terminal gates who let passengers onto the covered walkways during the evening commute hours. But she doesn’t stop there. She proudly wears her bright yellow windbreaker with big letters on the back reading “Guest Assistance” and lives up to its promise.
She greets passengers with a warm smile and fun names for ferry routes. “Valley Joe,” she shouts as the Vallejo boat docks at Gate B. “T-E-A Buron” she announces as the Zelinsky arrives. When asked about her announcements, she says: “These people work so hard, I like to see them smile.” She carefully monitors her wristwatch for the departure time and coaches the passengers. She reassures them about the time and cautions them to slow down so they won’t slip. She listens to their complaints about the Ferry Building clock being two minutes behind. Antonette’s gregarious and nurturing style has brought a welcomed dimension to a job that was created for security reasons. She helps ferry passengers begin their pleasant commute experience from the moment they reach the dock.
Port of San Francisco to the Rescue
When it planned the Ferry Building Marketplace, the Port of San Francisco planned for alternative dry spots for ferry passengers. According to Port representatives, Ferry Building leaseholders, such as restaurants, must comply with a Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) rule requiring retail vendors/restaurants to stack and set aside the outdoor furniture to allow pedestrians or ferry passengers to use the covered awning area during “umbrella weather.” But, restaurants along the east side of the building have taken over the space for tables and chairs that accommodate overflow customers or customers seeking alfresco dining along the water.
BCDC Executive Director Will Travis, who also sits on the WTA’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), said, “We are all proud of the renovation of San Francisco’s Ferry Building to its historic grandeur and the way the building has become an exciting and beautiful gathering place for food fanatics. But we have to remember that the building will be little more than another upscale shopping mall if it does not continue to also be an important transit terminal. To accomplish this, amenities have to be provided so ferry passengers can coexist as equals with the shoppers, office tenants, and other users of the building. Ferry riders need warm, dry, and comfortable places to wait for boats. They need to be able to quickly get coffee, newspapers, and snacks. And they need to have access to clean, comfortable restrooms. The operators of the Ferry Building are doing a great job of providing these amenities. We’ll work with them to ensure they continue to do so in the future.”
San Francisco Port Maritime Director Peter Dailey explained that the Port plans to install a new gate system: a gate within a gate that will allow passengers to line up under a portion of the gangway overhang. “We’ve received preliminary USCG approval for this plan and we’re making some progress for design and construction. In the meantime, we’ll make sure that the Ferry Building Marketplace Manager tells the restaurants of our need for access during the rainy season. We may need to put a sign out telling the commuters where to line up.” If only the rains could wait, the new gates should be up and running by next winter.
Comfort and Safety of Future Passengers
On December 3rd, the WTA met with representatives from U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office San Francisco Bay to discuss future plans to design and construct additional ferry terminals in the San Francisco Bay Area. The WTA has proposed adding seven new routes around the Bay.
Steve Castleberry, WTA’s CEO, said, “Regional Measure 2 (RM2) recognized the importance in investing in transit hubs such as the Downtown Ferry Terminal. With new bridge toll revenues (from this source), there is a valuable opportunity to improve facilities for existing and future ferry riders. In the next few months, the WTA, as the recipient of the RM2 funds, will work with the Port of San Francisco and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan that will take the Downtown Ferry Terminal facilities into the next decade. Top priorities include: enhancing security and passenger comfort and adding docks for new routes. This plan will address pedestrian access, signage, and other improvements that will enhance the appeal of the Ferry Building as a destination for shopping and recreation.”
CDR Danny LeBlanc, Chief of Port Operations, said, “Partnering with the Coast Guard in the early design stages is mutually beneficial as it allows the architects/planners to build both passenger security and comfort needs into the passenger terminals. We commend the WTA for their initiative and look forward to our continued partnership as the Coast Guard assists them to safely expand a vibrant ferry system.”
Apart from ensuring compliance for security measures, the Coast Guard has provided armed Sea Marshals who randomly ride along on some ferry trips.
2030 Vision Includes Ferries
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has just released its “Mobility for the Next Generation: Transportation 2030 Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area” in its draft form (www.mtc.ca.org). MTC updates the 25-year Regional Transportation Plan every three years, and it defines how the region will build its transportation resources over a 25-year period. This most recent plan, developed over the course of 18 months, references San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA) ferry projects and their funding mechanisms. Specifically, the regional vision includes:
• Regional Measure 2 Funding for WTA environmental studies
• Downtown Ferry Terminal improvements and spare ferry vessels
• Berkeley/Albany to San Francisco ferry service
• Ferry service in western Contra Costa County (Richmond
and Hercules)
• Martinez Ferry landside improvements
• Antioch/Pittsburg to Martinez to San Francisco
• Treasure Island to San Francisco ferry service
• South San Francisco to San Francisco ferry service
• Redwood City to San Francisco to Alameda
ferry service
Security rules bar passengers from lining up beneath the covered docks without supervision
