With BART showing its age and struggling to meet growing demand, water-borne vehicles a potential panacea for transit in the San Francisco Bay Area?
"Twenty public ferries serving eight cities shuttle thousands of people across the [San Francisco Bay] every day, but there used to be many more," according to an article by Bryan Goebel. The question posed by Goebel, then, is how the amount of ferry service offered around the Bay Area might be increased to meet historical levels of service, or, for that matter, contemporary demand.
Interestingly, the biggest blow to ferry service in the bay occurred when the Bay Bridge opened in 1936, which also included a train, known as the Key System, when it first opened. In 2016, Goebel reports, "the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay ferry systems carry more than 16,000 passengers each weekday," and overwhelmed transit and freeway systems in the region might provide the reason for improved ferry service.
Evidence of the growth of ferry service in the Bay Area includes two new ferry terminals expected to open by 2022, the new operations of private ferry companies, and a 20-year draft strategic plan created by planners at the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, according to Goebel.
FULL STORY: Why Isn’t There More Ferry Service in the Bay Area?
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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