The San Francisco Bay Ferry transported 10,465 passengers across the bay last Thursday, June 22, surpassing a major pandemic recovery milestone. That ridership total marked SF 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).
The Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) announced the total over the weekend, noting that 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 this year, 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 the high demand, SF Bay Ferry offered additional weekend service on Sunday, June 25, for the San Francisco Pride Parade. Extra trips were scheduled for the Vallejo and Alameda/Oakland routes. Ridership figures for that day were not yet available.
