Real-Time Text and Email Alerts Now Available for San Francisco Bay Ferry Riders
SAN FRANCISCO | September 27, 2023 – The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), the agency that provides San Francisco Bay Ferry service, today announced the launch of real-time text message and email service alerts to help improve passenger communications when service disruptions strike.
Ferry riders can subscribe to receive text message and email alerts for specific San Francisco Bay Ferry routes, days of the week and times of day. This ensures that passengers will only be notified of service disruptions when it is relevant to them. Passengers can subscribe to alerts at sfbf.mobi/bayalerts.
“San Francisco Bay Ferry is very reliable. But we know that when issues do arise, clear and quick communication to our passengers is the most critical task,” said Seamus Murphy, WETA’s Executive Director. “This new feature provides targeted, relevant alerts right to passengers’ phones so they know exactly what’s going on.”
WETA developed this new tool in partnership with SimplifyTransit, which focuses on passenger-centric transit communication tools. The automated SimplifyTransit platform pulls in real-time alerts published in WETA’s real-time transit information system, provided by Swiftly Inc., and distributes those to opt-in subscribers via short messaging service (SMS) and email. WETA launched its real-time transit information system in 2022.
“We’re excited to help San Francisco Bay Ferry offer its riders detailed, helpful, targeted and timely real-time information when their trip doesn’t go as planned. SimplifyTransit Subscriptions is a powerful tool that will improve customers’ experience with no additional staff time,” said Cody Kraatz, SimplifyTransit CEO.
Real-time alerts continue to be available via the San Francisco Bay Ferry app, powered by Anchor Operating System. WETA is currently implementing real-time information at electronic terminal displays throughout the ferry system. Real-time information is currently available on displays at the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal and the Alameda Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal.
In August, WETA released its year-to-date reliability data. The data shows that between January and July 2023, San Francisco Bay Ferry completed 99% of its scheduled trips, and 97% of its trips arrived at their destinations within five minutes of the scheduled time.