Working Waterfront

Blue & Gold Fleet has applied to the California Public Utilities Commission to increase its fares on the Tiburon/Sausalito and San Francisco runs. This is among the last surviving, private (non-subsidized) services in the state.

Bay Crossings Staff Report
Published: March, 2007 

Tiburon Ferry Fares to Rise

All single trip tickets would go up $0.50, while the 20-ride book would increase to $40. The rate increase would be used to pay for an overhaul of the Zelinksky, an aging ferry dedicated to the run.

The WTA has always favored the Berkley Marina and also the fishing pier as potential sites for a Berkley/Albany ferry landing. Now, added to the environmental impact study is Gilman St. and Buchanan St., south and north of the fields, respectively. These sites’ advantages would be: easy access to I-80, parking, and, possibly, be close to transit-oriented development. Golden Gate Fields recently won a reprieve as its developer walked away from the project.

AC Transit’s green MCI (Motor Coach Industries) buses will now be able to handle up to four bicycles – two on the front rack and two underneath in storage bins. When bins are used, the driver will assist the rider to make sure bins are properly closed. The majority of these buses are assigned to the various Transbay routes.

On Jan. 24, the Port of Redwood City voted to fund a $121,000 study to locate a new ferry terminal. The Port hopes to have a service, with the assistance of the WTA, in operation within five years. Redwood City has employers near the waterfront and is facing the potentially huge, luxury home development of Cargill’s 1,433 acre waterfront, salt evaporation ponds.

Thursday afternoon, Jan, 18, the Alameda Oakland Ferry service cancelled service to Alameda because a wooden piling installed in 1990 had deteriorated enough to break. This affected gangway safety, so the dock was closed. Intensive efforts by contractor, Blue & Gold Fleet, and ferry service officials saw normal service restored in time for the 6AM Monday commute run.

The rate for travel on the dedicated bus between the Coliseum to Oakland International Airport will increase by $1 to $3 as of March 1. These funds will be dedicated to adding replacement buses, while waiting to see how the new BART connector develops. Currently, Oakland Airport parking rates range $8.95 to $19 per day.

Fares for bus service between Vallejo and Calistoga will increase in each of its three transportation zones, while some intra-city fares that are subsidized by the city (such as American Canyon) will remain the same. VINE is seeking to improve its fare box recovery ratio (the measure of a transit service) to win back additional funding. The increase begins March 5.

The Spaulding Class ferry, Marin, is currently at Bay Ship and Yacht’s Alameda facility undergoing a complete interior and exterior cosmetic reconstruction. Work is expected to be completed for the start of baseball season at San Francisco’s AT&T Park.