The Proposed Ferry Route:

• Redwood City to San Francisco

• Redwood City to East Bay

Trip Time(s):

• Redwood City to San Francisco Ferry Building: 47 minutes

• Redwood City to East Bay: approx. 45 minutes

The Benefits of a Redwood City Ferry Service:

• Ferry service will take cars off Hwy. 101 and I-280, providing a more direct, pleasant and productive transbay commute option to driving on the Peninsula-to-San Francisco corridor-the most heavily traveled in the Bay Area

• The Pacific Shores Center Development, located near the proposed terminal, currently offers more than 1.5 million square feet of office space that will accommodate more than 4,000 workers.

• Water transit service to potential development sites, like Abbott Labs' proposal to build 500,000 sq. ft. of office space adjacent to the Port of Redwood City, could efficiently, conveniently and cost-effectively transport East Bay residents to their jobs on the Peninsula.

• Thousands of Bay Area workers currently commute by car and Caltrain to Redwood City. Their employers include Oracle (7,000), San Mateo County (4,000), BroadVision (1,100), Sequoia and Kaiser Hospitals (500 each) and Electronic Arts (500).

The Riders:

• WTA's ridership studies forecast 1,420 daily passenger trips between Redwood City and San Francisco by 2025. Most will be drivers shifting from cars to transit.

• In 2002, Oracle's employer shuttle provided more than 66,459 rides to and from the Belmont and San Carlos Caltrain stations and its Redwood City headquarters-a 7,000-ride increase from 2001.

• Nearly 800 of Oracle's employees currently commute from shoreline communities including Newark/Freemont, Alameda/Oakland, Berkeley, Belmont and San Carlos.

The Terminal:

• A Redwood City terminal will enhance shoreline access and support the city's growing waterfront business and residential communities.

• In addition to serving job centers, this terminal also will be a lynchpin for proposed residential projects. Several downtown residential housing developments are also under review.

• Redwood City is revitalizing its downtown and is in the process of building a new 20-screen cinema and adjoining 85,000 sq. ft. of retail space that could be easily accessed from the proposed ferry terminal.

Convenient Connections:

• WTA will work with SamTrans to provide feeder service to the Redwood City ferry terminal.

The Emergency Response:

• A ferry terminal in Redwood City could provide emergency access to the Peninsula if highway and bridge travel is disrupted.

• New and increased ferry service was used in 1989 to transport passengers and supplies after the Loma Prieta Earthquake blocked access to and damaged the Bay Bridge.

• In 23 years, ferries have been used six times in the Bay Area to replace damaged or disrupted transportation links.

The Finances:

• Terminal construction: $20 million

• Vessels: $22 million (two 300-passenger fast ferries)

• Annual operating costs: $5 million for mature service

Proposed Funding Sources

• Federal Ferryboat Discretionary Fund

• San Mateo County Measure A Sales Tax Extension

• Transit Impact Fees

• Farebox Revenue

WETA Project background:

WETA (the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority) was established by SB976, and replaces the WTA (Water Transit Authority). The intention of SB 976 is to improve the ability of ferries to respond in an emergency.

Read More About WETA

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