Main Street ferry runs to increase

Alameda’s ferry commuters will soon have more Main Street departures to choose from. A new weekday ferry scheduled set to take effect on April 28 shows additional ferry runs to and from San Francisco, and ferry officials say they’re adding some weekend trips as well.

“It’s basically doubling the service,” said Kevin Connolly, the Water Emergency Transportation Authority’s manager for planning and development.

The authority, which runs the Bay Area’s ferry service, has been considering expanding service in the wake of last year’s BART strikes; Alameda’s ferries are now carrying 30 percent more riders than they did before the strikes. The new weekday service will run every 30 to 35 minutes between 6 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., rather than hourly, and will include a new 4:30 p.m. return trip from San Francisco’s Ferry Building.

The authority will also expand weekend service, adding two to three new round trips to the schedule of nine currently in place, marketing manager Ernest Sanchez said. He said the weekend schedule is still being finalized but could be available next week.

The changes are officially in effect through October 31, though Sanchez said that they’ll likely be permanent. He said the Alameda/Oakland ferry schedule hasn’t been changed in five or six years.

The additional runs should make it easier for commuters to catch a ferry, Connolly said.

“This idea is, if you miss it, it’s not as big of a disaster. At least you know something’s coming along in 30 minutes,” he said.

In addition to increased ridership, Connolly said the authority is adding service at Main Street and in Oakland because both places have parking available to accommodate more riders. The Main Street lot has 328 spaces, he said, and hundreds more are available on Main Street and at the Albert H. DeWitt Officer’s Club on …read more

Source: Alameda News From The Alamedan