Funding approved to study South City ferry terminal

Expected to cost more than $20 million, the new terminal would be adjacent to the existing one and support public water taxi ferry service to and from San Francisco’s ferry building. The ride is about 20 minutes.

“This takes a lot of traffic off Highway 101 and Interstate 280. This is going to be a game changer for people going to and from San Francisco,” said TA Board Member Karyl Matsumoto, also a South San Francisco councilwoman, during the meeting.

Officials during the meeting said they received numerous emails of “very strong” support for the project from employers, property developers, residents and the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which is a partner on the project.

WETA also manages the existing terminal at Oyster Point, which receives ferries from the East Bay, and the service associated with the new terminal is meant to complement what is currently offered.

The terminal envisions a route between South San Francisco and San Francisco in part because over 40% of the employees who currently work in the Oyster Point area live in San Francisco, according to a staff report. Matsumoto said the city conservatively expects 55,000 employees in the area by 2040.

South San Francisco City Manager Mike Futrell said the city intends to have two private ferry operators — Prop SF and Tideline —bring passengers to the Oyster Point terminal “at 100% cost recovery with no requirement for any tax subsidy from any government agency.”

“The preliminary numbers look good. Both of those operators believe it will work,” he said. “This study would validate ridership, fare box recovery and also the capital cost to make this happen.”

Futrell said a water taxi is smaller than a traditional one, typically holding about 40 passengers and lacking the amenities traditional ferries offer.

He also noted hovercraft operators are exploring beaches in South San Francisco for additional commuter service, but said such vehicles would not service the proposed terminal.

The existing terminal at Oyster Point has seen “relatively modest” ridership growth over the past five years, officials said.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102

Note to readers: This story has been changed to remove attributed information about Genentech's future employment goals that the company said was not correct.