REAL-TIME FERRY INFO, AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
San Francisco Bay Ferry is thrilled to now be offering real-time ferry information to passengers. With a system powered by Swiftly, ferry riders can access trip departure times and rider alerts directly from their phones on Google Maps, Moovit, Transit App, and the San Francisco Bay Ferry app.

We’ve phased out the BayAlerts text notification system and rolled out a more comprehensive rider alerts and information system. It’s more timely and reliable, and available across a variety of platforms. Real-time trip predictions and new and improved Rider Alert notifications are now helping to inform riders of service delays and disruptions in real-time as they happen. And we’re not stopping there.

We are working to integrate service alerts and real-time information into the displays at our ferry terminals. Right now, those signs show scheduled departure times. Soon, they will display real-time departures and accurately display the next ferry trip times, even if there are delays or cancellations in service. We’re also on track to provide riders with a new live ferry map directly from our website, as well as the ability to text a stop/terminal code to have real-time information sent directly via text. These features will be available soon.

Because BayAlerts has been phased out, we recommend signing up for service changes notifications via email. When you sign up we’ll email you whenever there are schedule changes, fare changes or special schedules in effect.

We’re committed to making San Francisco Bay Ferry service more reliable and to keep passengers informed whenever there are disruptions. We’d love your feedback as well!
HAPPY TRANSIT MONTH

September is Transit Month! We’re thrilled to be joining San Francisco Transit Riders (SFTR) and Seamless Bay Area in various activities celebrating our city and region’s public transit that we all know and ride. 

We’re thrilled to be hosting the Ferry Pub Crawl on Friday, September 23. Participants can join transit fans from all over the region for a fun evening with trivia and prizes starting with a ferry ride from San Francisco to Oakland. Learn more and register here.

Don’t miss the chance to win prizes through the Transit Month Ride Contest. Every ride is another entry into the Transit Month raffle. Enter for your chance to also win prizes for the most rides taken, the best transit picture, and the best transit story — there will be weekly prizes as well as ones for the whole month. Prizes include riding in a BART train cab, a Warriors jersey signed by Jordan Poole, a tour of the Central Subway, and more. Learn more and enter to win!

If you’d like to learn more about transit month or join us for any of the many events, head over to SFTR’s website to see a full calendar of events.
GET READY FOR VALLEJO WATERFRONT WEEKEND

San Francisco Bay Ferry is again providing free waterfront ferry tours at the 2022 Vallejo Waterfront Weekend. And this year, we’re offering two days of fun.

Bring the family or your friends down to the Mare Island or Vallejo Ferry Terminal on October 1-2 for a ton of fun activities including free ferry tours of the Vallejo waterfront. On Saturday, we’ll have local historians on board to provide passengers interesting tales of Vallejo and Mare Island’s past. On Sunday, we’re bringing in live music and taking riders on a spin under the Carquinez Bridge.

There’s lots more happening at Vallejo Waterfront Weekend this year, too, on both sides of the strait. There’s live music, whale boat races, a kids’ zone, the famous Ducky Derby, hot air balloon rides, disc golf, a beer and wine garden and much more.

Find ferry schedules for Waterfront Weekend on our website. We will still be operating normal service on the Vallejo route connecting San Francisco that weekend as well.
DOCK-TIONARY: THE FLOAT

Welcome back to Dock-tionary, where we help ferry fans learn how to speak boat. This month, we’re adding float to your ferry jargon.

Ferry crews, operations staff and even administrative staff use the word ‘float’ to refer to the portion of ferry dock at the end of the gangway that is secured in place with pilings and where ferries are secured to when loading and offloading passengers. This part of the ferry dock is important because of its buoyant nature as it rises and falls with the tide which guarantees a level space for ferries to dock.

In the San Francisco Bay Ferry network, all floats have a similar design; however, depending on the angle at which ferries dock and tie up, can have different layouts. For example, some floats such as the Richmond and Main St. Alameda terminals only allow for one vessel to dock alongside at a time while all other float in the network allow for two vessels to berth at once.

The next time you are pulling up to a terminal on a San Francisco Bay Ferry, see if you can spot the float that your ferry will use to tie up and dock.
FERRY TALES: MARY H.

Why is San Francisco Bay Ferry the best way to cross the bay?
Two words: no traffic.

What is your favorite ferry amenity?
Sitting outdoors, taking in the views of Downtown SF and enjoying a glass of wine during my "commute."

How would you describe the atmosphere on the ferry?
Spacious, calm and comfortable.

Describe San Francisco Bay Ferry in one word.
Inspiring.
FERRY MERCH

Riders can now show their love for riding the ferry in more ways and styles. Check out The Aft Deck and grab some ferry swag today!