San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today announced the opening of the new Mission Bay Interim Ferry Landing at Pier 48 ½ and the launch of ferry service to Chase Center. The new landing will add public water transit to the transportation options in the Mission Bay neighborhood, further reducing the need to drive and easing congesting in the area. Ferry service will be available to and from Oakland, Alameda and Larkspur beginning on October 5, 2019—in time for the first Warriors pre-season game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Taking the ferry to the Chase Center is a beautiful and efficient way to get to a Warriors game or concert,” said Mayor Breed. “Providing ferry service to Mission Bay is part of our overall strategy to provide as many transit options as possible so that people don’t need to rely on cars to get to and from the area.”

The San Francisco Bay Ferry and Golden Gate Ferry companies will offer direct trips to and from Pier 48 ½ from three Bay Area cities before and after Warriors games and special events at Chase Center. San Francisco Bay Ferry will offer trips between San Francisco and Oakland, and San Francisco and Alameda. Golden Gate Ferry will serve North Bay customers with trips between San Francisco and Larkspur. Tickets are available on a reservation basis at www.sanfranciscobayferry.com and www.goldengate.org.

“Expanding ferry service is one of the quickest and most cost-efficient ways we can reduce congestion in the Bay Area,” said Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco). “I am thrilled Warriors fans will be able to utilize this pleasant and effective transportation option to get to the game.”

The Interim Ferry Landing at Pier 48 ½ will consist of one temporary float, loaned by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Agency (WETA). The interim ferry landing will be operational from October 5, 2019 until the permanent Mission Bay Ferry Landing is completed in 2021.

“We chose the Mission Bay location for our new home largely because of the beauty of the area and the transit-rich infrastructure that already existed here,” said Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts. “This new ferry service brings those two qualities together. In addition to walking or taking a train, bus, taxi, rideshare or bicycle to Chase Center, now fans will have the option of getting here by way of a beautiful Bay cruise.”

“Golden Gate Ferry provides first-class transportation for fans of all sorts to cross the Bay to the sparkling new sports and entertainment arena while avoiding roadway congestion,” said Denis Mulligan, General Manager for the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District.

The Port of San Francisco is in the process of designing and permitting the permanent Mission Bay Ferry Landing. The Mission Bay Ferry Landing is one of the projects eligible for funding by Regional Measure 3, which increased bridge tolls across the Bay Area to pay for public transportation improvements and other projects aimed at reducing congestion. Regional Measure 3 is currently being litigated, and funds have not been awarded to eligible projects. As a result, the permanent landing will not be completed until at least 2021.

“I would like to thank our City partners, the Warriors and our ferry operators for working together to create an interim ferry landing and service that will meet the needs of fans and the neighborhood,” said Elaine Forbes, Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco. “The Port is committed to expanding and promoting water transit and looking forward to the opening of the permanent Mission Bay Ferry Landing and the expansion of the Downtown Ferry Terminal.”

Ferry ridership has grown significantly in recent years and is expected to continue growing. Both the new Mission Bay terminal and the expanded Downtown Ferry Terminal will connect San Francisco residents and regional commuters to housing, jobs, and communities along the northern and southern waterfront. The permanent Mission Bay Ferry Landing will have capacity for daily ferry commuting to and from the Mission Bay neighborhood, one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in San Francisco, as well as the Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, Pier 70, and the Central Waterfront neighborhoods.

The Mission Bay Ferry Landing will be able to berth two ferry boats simultaneously and may include a nearby water taxi landing. The permanent ferry landing will have the capacity to carry up to approximately 6,000 passengers per day and will sit within a half mile of approximately 11,000 new homes, seven million square feet of new office and commercial space, over one million square feet of new retail space, and 70 acres of public open space. The ongoing Downtown Ferry Terminal Expansion will also add ferry capacity, improve pedestrian circulation and improve regional emergency management and response. 

“There’s huge momentum for expanded ferry service in the Bay Area, and, we’re leaning into that by offering ferry rides from Oakland and Alameda to Chase Center for Warriors games as well as concerts,” said WETA Executive Director Nina Rannells. “While we continue to work with the Port of San Francisco on a permanent ferry solution to serve Chase Center and the broader Mission Bay, we’re so glad for the collaborative efforts to make event service possible now.”

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