2024
A Sea Change Brews In July the Sea Change, the world’s first commercial passenger ferry powered 100% by hydrogen fuel cells, debuted on SF Bay Ferry’s Pier 41 Short Hop route. Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle Launches to Acclaim Along with partners at the City of Alameda, Alameda TMA and the Port of Oakland, SF Bay […]
2023
Clean Air Conversion Project Completed The agency successfully completed its Gemini Class Clean Air Conversion Project, in which the four original WETA ferries were upgraded to the cleanest available engines, cutting emissions by 80%.
2022
Dorado Debuts Dorado, the first in a class of four versatile jet boats going the fleet, debuted in passenger service in June. It was joined in 2024 by Delphinus and will be joined by Karl (2025) and Zalophus (2026). SF Bay Ferry Reports 99% Passenger Satisfaction A third-party rider survey conducted in 2022 found 99% […]
2021
Pandemic Recovery Program Launched In July 2021, SF Bay Ferry launches its Pandemic Recovery Program, providing more service than pre-pandemic with fares 30% lower across the system in order to attract new riders and boost the local economy. Alameda Seaplane Opens As a part of the service relaunch, SF Bay Ferry began weekday service to […]
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic Decimates Ridership In the wake of public health orders resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, SF Bay Ferry ridership plummeted 94% essentially overnight. The agency reduced service dramatically but did not lay off any skilled mariners or miss a single trip over the next four years due to staff shortages. Downtown San Francisco Ferry […]
2019
Richmond Service Begins Construction of the new Richmond Ferry terminal at Ford Point was completed and service was launched. New Vallejo Ferries Arrive WETA’s first two 445-passenger Pyxis Class vessels, Pyxis and Vela, entered service in 2019. The third, Lyra, followed in 2020. These were the first new ferries designed to serve the popular Vallejo […]
2018
WETA Opens Ron Cowan Central Bay Operations and Maintenance Facility WETA opened its second Operations and Maintenance Facility in Alameda. Voters Approve RM3 Voters in the nine-county Bay Area approved Regional Measure 3 (RM3), a bridge toll measure raising $300 million in capital funding and $35 million in annual operating funding for ferry expansion.
2017
WETA Expands its San Francisco Bay Ferry Fleet WETA’s first two 400-passenger Hydrus Class vessels, Hydrus and Cetus, entered service. Sibling vessels Argo (2018) and Carina (2019) would join in the following years.
2016
WETA Approves Updated Emergency Response Plan The WETA Board of Directors adopted an update to its Emergency Response Plan, which outlines WETA’s roles, responsibilities and procedures for coordinating the Bay Area water transportation response in the event of a catastrophic event, such as an earthquake. WETA Opens Charlene Haught Johnson North Bay Operations and Maintenance […]
2015
San Francisco Bay Ferry Ridership Increases 79% Over 5-Day Period During BART Closure Over the five-day BART closure in the summer of 2015, San Francisco Bay Ferry carried 79 percent more passengers than normal compared to a similar five-day time period.