San Francisco Bay Ferry Rider Survey Data Shows Industry-Leading 99% Passenger Satisfaction Rating

SAN FRANCISCO | December 8, 2022 – Ninety-nine percent of San Francisco Bay Ferry riders are satisfied with the service according to data released today by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) from its 2022 passenger survey. The rating makes the service the highest-rated transit system in the nation.

The survey, conducted in July and August 2022 by CDM Smith, collected important information from a statistically valid sample of 963 San Francisco Bay Ferry passengers to help identify changes in rider demographics and sentiments in the wake of major fare cuts and service increases as a part of WETA’s Pandemic Recovery Program, instituted in July 2021.
The survey’s findings include:

  • 99% rider satisfaction, WETA’s highest figure ever and up from 88% in 2017
  • 42% of passengers surveyed are new ferry riders who did not use the service before 2020, indicating the positive impact of the Pandemic Recovery Program on growing ridership
  • A significant increase in riders citing affordability as a reason they choose the ferry over other travel modes, from 7% in 2017 to 18% in 2022

“It’s hard to do better than 99%, and we have the excellent work of our captains and crews to thank,” said WETA Executive Director Seamus Murphy. “In an effort to maximize ridership return, we’ve prioritized passenger experience over the last year, and it’s great to see those efforts pay off. I’m especially proud that the number of riders who are ‘very satisfied’ with the service has doubled during pandemic recovery from 38% to 76%.”

San Francisco Bay Ferry has hit nearly 80% of pre-pandemic ridership in each of the past three months, standing well ahead of comparable regional transit operators. The ferry system currently offers 152 weekday transbay trips and 57 weekend departures.

The full passenger survey summary report is available at weta.sanfranciscobayferry.com/publications/passenger-survey-2022.

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