Water Emergency Transportation Authority :: Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project

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Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project

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About The Project

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) is proposing expansion and improvements to the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal at the Port of San Francisco Ferry Building (see project area figure below). WETA and the Port have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to undertake a coordinated planning effort for the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion project in accordance with the Port's objectives for stewardship of the San Francisco waterfront and WETA's mission to provide ferry service and emergency operations (see MOU attached below). The project would expand the number of ferry gates, improve pedestrian circulation and ferry patron boarding, and enhance emergency response capabilities to evacuate people from San Francisco in the event of a major catastrophic event.

project area

The project is located in the northeastern section of San Francisco, California, at the San Francisco Ferry Building, situated at the foot of Market Street. The study area encompasses Port of San Francisco property between Pier 1 on the north and Pier 14 on the south, and includes the Ferry Building, ferry gates, and the Ferry Plaza. The Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal currently accommodates six ferry routes serving more than 10,000 passengers with approximately 130 ferry arrivals and departures daily. The proposed project would make improvements to gates and boarding areas to accommodate anticipated increases in ferry ridership as new ferry services from downtown San Francisco to Berkeley, Treasure Island, Hercules, Richmond, Redwood City, Martinez, and Antioch are introduced between 2014 and 2030.

The planned improvements build on improvements that were completed by the Port of San Francisco in 2003 (Phase 1). Phase 2 of the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project would begin in 2014 and be completed by 2017, and would consist of demolition of Pier 1/2 and Pier 2, construction of three new ferry gates, installation of amenities such as weather-protected areas for queuing, improvements to pedestrian circulation, and filling of the lagoon for future use as a staging area for evacuees in the event of a major catastrophe. Full build-out of the proposed improvements is contingent on potential ridership demand at full build-out of the proposed Treasure Island redevelopment, expected to occur sometime between 2020 and 2030. A preliminary sketch of proposed improvements in shown below.

site plan

Environmental Review

As the federal and local Lead Agencies, respectively, the Federal Transit Administration and WETA are preparing a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. A Notice of Intent (NOI) and Notice of Preparation (NOP) have been prepared and are being circulated by FTA and WETA for the purpose of defining the scope and content of the EIS/EIR. The EIS/EIR will address potential impacts to land use, development potential, displacements, historic resources, visual and aesthetic qualities, air quality, noise and vibration, dredging and Bay fill requirements, hazardous materials resulting from demolition and construction activities, traffic circulation and transportation linkages, pedestrian circulation, safety, security, and emergency response, Bay habitat, and cumulative impacts. The environmental analysis may reveal that the proposed project will not affect, or affect substantially, these areas. However, if any adverse impacts are identified, measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate those adverse impacts will be proposed.

Opportunities for Public Involvement

A comprehensive public involvement program for public and interagency involvement will be developed for the project and made available on this website. The public involvement program will include maintaining this webpage and outreach to local officials, community and civic groups, and the public. Comments on the scope of the environmental analysis for this project will be accepted during public scoping meetings held on April 26, 2011, or may be submitted in writing to WETA Project Manager, Mike Gougherty, by May 16, 2011. When the environmental analysis is complete, the document will be circulated for public review and comment prior to finalizing it.

Download the Notice of Preparation (NOP)

Notice of Preparation (PDF, 406KB)