San Francisco Bay Ferry plans rate hikes starting in July

Fares would be “locked in” for five years on the San Francisco Bay Ferry starting in July with a 3% increase a year, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority announced Friday.

The authority has also proposed adjustments to its reservation-based special event fares to hit cost recovery targets. Reserved tickets connecting Oakland and Alameda to both Oracle Park and Chase Center for San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors games respectively are proposed to be increased 10% to $10.50 each way. Reserved tickets connecting Vallejo to Oracle Park for Giants games are proposed to be increased 15% to $18.25 each way.

WETA Executive Director Seamus Murphy said, “We have seen the fare cuts help make San Francisco Bay Ferry more relevant to more travelers, and we believe this fare proposal will help us continue that trajectory upward in the coming years.”

The agency said fares were cut in 2021 to attract riders after the pandemic closed many officers in the San Francisco downtown. In the 20 months since the fare cuts, San Francisco Bay Ferry’s ridership recovery has outpaced comparable regional transit operators despite high office vacancy. A recent onboard survey found that 42% of current San Francisco Bay Ferry did not ride the service before the pandemic.

Sample route changes includes an increase from $4.50 to $4.60 on the run to San Francisco from Oakland, and up from $9 to $9.30 each way from Vallejo.

By comparison, rides on Golden Gate Ferry, which connects Marin County with San Francisco, cost $7.50–$8.50 each way for Clipper adult fares from Tiburon, Sausalito and Larkspur. Fares from Larkspur to Oracle Park cost $15.50 per direction.

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