Ferry rides across the Bay are about to get a lot cheaper.
For the month of November, San Francisco Bay Ferry (SFBF) passenger fares will be reduced to one dollar when purchased through Hopthru, a transit pass application. The goal is to encourage more people to take advantage of ferry transit and make the ferries more accessible and affordable to essential workers.
WETA board member and Alameda County Fire Department Operations Chief Jeff DelBono proposed the idea. With ridership down between 94 and 98 percent due to the pandemic, “the boats are running empty right now,” said DelBono. “Why not [try] to get people out on a boat?”
And it’s not a bad way to travel in a pandemic. “It’s been so heartening to hear from our passengers now working from home who tell us they actually miss their commute,” said Thomas Hall, the public information and marketing manager for SFBF. “As the Bay Area starts moving again, we’re excited to invite passengers new and old on board the best way to cross the Bay with one-dollar fares in November.”
Ferries are currently limited to only 30 percent capacity, said DelBono, to facilitate social distancing. Everyone is required to wear masks, and the boats are fogged and cleaned by the crews daily.
Starting November 1, the new promotion, called Dollar Days on the Bay, will reduce fares for those 18 years and older to one dollar, while those under 18 accompanied by an adult will be able to ride for free. The one-dollar fare will apply to all of the SFBF routes currently servicing the San Francisco Ferry Building, which are Alameda/Oakland, Vallejo and Richmond.
DelBono said when he brought the idea to his colleagues, they were very supportive. At a minimum, the reduced fare will last through November, with the possibility of an extension through December.
For DelBono, it’s not just about increasing ridership. He hopes the reduced fare will make the ferries more accessible to frontline and essential workers, as well as socioeconomically diverse communities in the Bay Area. “One of the things that had a huge impact on me was when we originally opened the Richmond Ferry Terminal,” said DelBono. “I was told by one of the soccer coaches out there that a lot of the kids out there haven’t even been on the Bay.”
According to DelBono, the new Dollar Days on the Bay initiative also ties into the intention of the Clipper START program, which WETA will begin join soon. The program allows a 50 percent discount on ferry rides for those who qualify under a certain economic status.
“We’re one of the worst when it comes to public transportation—having access for people that are socially, economically challenged,” said DelBono. “So we want to change that.”
DelBono hopes the reduced fare will also be beneficial for essential workers, such as those in the service industry, in hotels and restaurants, as well as frontline medical personnel. “I think the number one thing is providing them with a safe ride when they go back to work,” he said.
“We want to get people on there, so they can see that it is safe and clean,” said DelBono. “And what a beautiful ride it is.”
For more information on the promotional fares, visit www.sanfranciscobayferry.com/dollardays.
