Could expanded ferry service be a reality at Contra Costa’s waterfront cities?

Pittsburg is the newest metropolis to get on board with a plan to review the feasibility of increasing ferry service to components of Contra Costa County’s waterfront.

The Metropolis Council unanimously agreed final week to share within the estimated $200,000 price to finish the planning work for increasing such service. Pittsburg’s $40,000 share will come from town’s waterfront fund.

“The potential advantages embody reasonably priced and an environment friendly transit choice,” Pittsburg analyst Sara Bellafronte advised the council.

Bellafronte stated there may be regional curiosity in increasing the present San Francisco Bay Ferry service to Contra Costa. The most recent – and farthest japanese route – was to Richmond, established in 2018.

Antioch, Hercules and Martinez, together with Contra Costa County, Japanese Contra Costa Transit Authority and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority have all beforehand expressed curiosity in increasing ferry service within the county, Bellafronte stated. The Antioch Metropolis Council on Oct. 25 additionally authorized an settlement to assist pay for the brand new feasibility examine.

Although some cities like Antioch started contemplating the choice of commuter ferries greater than a dozen years in the past, it wasn’t till 2015 that the Contra Costa Transit Authority, in cooperation with the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which operates the San Francisco Bay Ferry, commissioned an enlargement examine. That examine included direct companies to Richmond, San Francisco, Antioch and Martinez, in addition to mixed routes among the many 4 areas.

That cooperative examine confirmed prices of $2.25 to $11.25 for adults, relying on the route, with reductions for teens and seniors and free tickets for these underneath 5.

“With brief hops, these 10-minute routes could be about 50 cents to $1.25,” she stated.

Commuting by ferry doesn’t take lengthy, Bellafronte added, noting the typical journeys could be 10 minutes to 60 minutes, with the longest at as much as 120 minutes from San Francisco to Antioch. Typical weekday operation hours could be from 6:30 a.m. to eight:30 p.m., she stated.

“One other profit is connectivity,” she stated. “East Contra Costa would connect with West Contra Costa County, Solano County, Alameda County and San Francisco.”

One other plus is accessibility and comfort, Bellafronte stated, noting the ferries could be ADA-accessible and tickets could be offered on-line, on apps or in individual.

The 2015 examine additionally estimated 411 day by day weekday riders would use the expanded East Bay path to San Francisco and greater than 1,000 would use the Antioch-Martinez-Hercules interconnect system.

Moreover creating jobs for the operation of those prolonged routes, the 2015 examine confirmed different financial advantages, she stated.

“It’s doable {that a} ferry terminal might have optimistic financial multiplier results in creating jobs and bringing guests, though additional examine would should be executed to substantiate potential financial impacts relative to different potential growth alternatives and or actions,” Bellafronte stated.

And, in addition to being environmentally pleasant, the ferries might assist present emergency response when land and air transportation aren’t doable, she stated.

Different present Bay Space ferry routes embody Treasure Island ferry service, Golden Gate Ferry, Larkspur, Sausalito, Tiburon, Angel Island and Alcatraz ferry companies. One other ferry service, a San Francisco-based personal firm, Tideline Water Taxi, supplies customized service out of a number of areas in San Francisco, Marin County and the East Bay, together with Berkeley and Oakland, designed for small events.

However whereas ferry service from San Francisco extends northeast to Solano County, the one ferry terminal in Contra Costa County is in Richmond.

Mayor Holland Barrett White stated he supported an settlement to review a doable ferry system in Contra Costa County.

“I believe that after we have a look at the funding availability at each the federal and state degree, there are unprecedented {dollars} to assist us see one thing like this into fruition for our neighborhood,” he stated.

The mayor added that he thinks Pittsburg is properly positioned with its location and infrastructure to turn out to be a part of such a service.

“I hope that this doesn’t simply cease at a feasibility examine, nevertheless it truly turns into a possibility for us to open up new pathways of journey for the people who dwell in our neighborhood but in addition what to go to for leisure and different issues that that almost all cities profit from when it comes to tourism right here regionally,” he stated.

Councilman Jelani Killings additionally supported the examine, noting town should do its “due diligence” to see what it could take to make a ferry system operational.

“I believe that this examine, clearly, is that first step in understanding (what it could take)…” he stated.

The planning work for the expanded ferry service is anticipated to start in early 2023 and to be accomplished by the top of that yr. Along with investigating estimated ridership, evaluating fare construction, and assessing operational and upkeep prices, the examine may also assess the feasibility of utilizing no-emission vessels for the service.