San Francisco Bay Ferry Exceeds 10,000 Daily Passengers, Adds Extra Service for S.F. Pride Parade

SAN FRANCISCO | June 23, 2023 – The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), the agency that provides San Francisco Bay Ferry service, today announced that it carried 10,465 passengers on Thursday, June 22, surpassing a major pandemic recovery milestone.

The ridership total marked San Francisco Bay Ferry’s second highest weekday figure since 2020, trailing only June 20, 2022, the day of the Golden State Warriors’ championship parade (15,103 passengers). Thursday’s ridership was the fourth highest overall day for the ferry system since 2020.

"This is a major milestone in our quest to rebuild ridership," said Jim Wunderman, Chair of the WETA Board of Directors. "As a frequent ferry rider myself, I know how life-changing getting out of the car and onto the water can be. We’re so encouraged to see more and more people in the Bay Area – residents and visitors alike – embrace the ferry system."

Average daily ridership for San Francisco Bay Ferry in June 2019 was 9,712. Ridership has increased 42% overall compared to the prior fiscal year. June 2023 is on track to be the ferry system’s best performing month since February 2020 with more than 200,000 riders overall.

To accommodate expected high demand, San Francisco Bay Ferry will offer additional weekend service on Sunday, June 25, for the San Francisco Pride Parade. Extra trips are scheduled for the Vallejo and Oakland & Alameda routes. Normal weekend service will be in place on the Richmond and Pier 41 Short Hop routes. Details are available at https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/news/sf-pride-parade-ferry-schedule-2023. The free Ballpark Short Hop connecting passengers from the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal to Oracle Park will be available on both Saturday and Sunday.


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