BY DAN ROSENHEIM
- Bikes on Board: WETA reminds passengers that San Francisco Bay Ferry vessels have maximum bicycle capacity set according to Coast Guard safety standards. Crews cannot board more bikes than allowed in the Coast Guard’s certificate of inspection. WETA says this particularly affects the 4:20 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. departures from South San Francisco, each of which can only accept 34 bikes. Crews will announce when the maximum capacity is reached; subsequent passengers who don’t have bike space can either wait for the next boat or secure their bikes in a rack that has been installed in the passenger shelter at the SSF terminal.
- RM3 Appeal Moves Forward: Plaintiffs’ attorneys have filed briefs in their appeal of rulings that dismissed two lawsuits against Regional Measure 3. The lawsuits, which were initially filed separately by East Bay businessman Randall Whitney and by the Howard Jarvis Association, have been consolidated for the appeal. The plaintiffs contend that a series of $1 toll hikes for Bay Area CalTrans bridges are in fact illegal under Proposition 13, which requires a two-thirds vote for tax increases. Defendants in the case, which include the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Toll Authority, had no immediate comment on the filing, but proponents of RM3 argue the toll increases are fees, not taxes, and hence not subject to the Prop 13 requirements. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman has previously dismissed each of the lawsuits, hence the appeal to the First District Court of Appeal. At stake in the legal battles are billions of dollars for Bay Area transportation projects, including several hundred million dollars in both direct and debt funding for ferry transit.
- GG Ferry Seeks Public Input: Golden Gate Ferry has announced it is seeking new recruits for its Ferry Passenger Advisory Committee (FPAC). The district says the FPAC provides a forum for riders to discuss service issues and other topics with ferry staff. The group meets roughly every other month at midday at the Port of San Francisco. People interested in applying are encouraged to email pac@goldengate.org.
