San Francisco Bay Ferry Proposes Locking in Lower Fares
SAN FRANCISCO | March 3, 2023 – The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) today released its proposal to lock in lower San Francisco Bay Ferry fares for the next five years.
In 2021, San Francisco Bay Ferry temporarily slashed its fares 30% across the system as a part of its Pandemic Recovery Program (PRP) to rebuild ridership and enhance access to the system. 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 in Downtown San Francisco. A recent onboard survey found that 42% of current San Francisco Bay Ferry did not ride the service before the pandemic.
On Friday, the agency released a new proposed fare program to take effect on July 1, 2023. The program locks in the fare cuts established in the PRP for the next five years and establishes small 3% annual increases on fares for regular service. These annual increases are based on historical inflation data and intended to keep pace with comparable transit operators.
“San Francisco Bay Ferry is a premium option for travelers, but we can’t charge premium prices if we want to rebuild ridership,” said WETA Executive Director Seamus Murphy. “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.”
This table shows San Francisco Bay Ferry fares (Clipper base rate) by route from 2020 as well as current fares and proposed fares that would take effect on July 1. San Francisco Bay Ferry proposes to preserve its 50% discounts for youth, senior, disabled or Clipper START passengers on regular service. The agency’s small surcharge on paper tickets is proposed to continue.
| Route | 2020 Fares | Current Fares | Proposed 2023-24 Fares | Proposal Compared to 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland/Alameda | $5.40 | $4.50 | $4.60 | -15% |
| Vallejo | $11.30 | $9.00 | $9.30 | -18% |
| Richmond | $7.00 | $4.50 | $4.60 | -34% |
| Harbor Bay | $5.60 | $4.50 | $4.60 | -18% |
| South San Francisco | $8.10 | $6.75 | $7.00 | -14% |
WETA 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. Following these one-time adjustments, under the proposal special event fares would then increase 3% annually alongside regular fares through the end of the five-year program.
The full proposed fare program is available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog.
Passengers and the public are encouraged to provide feedback on the proposal by emailing fareprogram@watertransit.org. A public hearing on the proposal will be held on May 4, 2023.