ABOUT THE PROJECT

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) is proposing expansion and improvements to the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal at the Port of San Francisco Ferry Building. WETA and the Port have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to undertake a coordinated planning effort for the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion project in accordance with the Port's objectives for stewardship of the San Francisco waterfront and WETA's mission to provide ferry service and emergency operations. The project would expand the number of ferry gates, improve pedestrian circulation and ferry patron boarding, and enhance emergency response capabilities to evacuate people from San Francisco in the event of a major catastrophic event.
 
The project is located at the San Francisco Ferry Building, situated at the foot of Market Street. The study area encompasses Port property between Pier 1 on the north and Pier 14 on the south, and includes the Ferry Building, ferry gates, and the Ferry Plaza. The Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal currently accommodates six ferry routes serving more than 10,000 passengers with approximately 130 ferry arrivals and departures daily. The proposed project would make improvements to gates and boarding areas to accommodate anticipated increases in ferry ridership as new ferry services from downtown San Francisco to Berkeley, Treasure Island, Hercules, Richmond, Redwood City, Martinez, and Antioch are introduced between 2014 and 2030.
 
The planned improvements build on improvements that were completed by the Port in 2003 (Phase 1). Phase 2 of the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project would begin in 2014 and be completed by 2017, and would consist of demolition of Pier 1/2 and Pier 2, construction of three new ferry gates, installation of amenities such as weather-protected areas for queuing, improvements to pedestrian circulation, and filling of the lagoon for future use as a staging area for evacuees in the event of a major catastrophe. Full build-out of the proposed improvements is contingent on potential ridership demand at full build-out of the proposed Treasure Island redevelopment, expected to occur sometime between 2020 and 2030. A preliminary sketch of proposed improvements is shown above.
 

For more information, please visit the Water Emergency Transportation Authority website.