San Francisco-Berkeley Ferry Inches Closer To Comeback

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Nearly 90 years after ferry service between San Francisco and Berkeley ended, plans for a new public pier and an electric ferry connection between the cities has moved forward.

On Thursday, SF Bay Ferry’s board allocated $1.3 million for plans for a new Berkeley public pier and zero-emission electric ferry service to San Francisco.

The City of Berkeley and the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which operates SF Bay Ferry, are jointly developing the project to replace the closed Berkeley Municipal Pier and establish electric ferry service.

Plans include a 1,080-foot public pier, a 400-foot breakwater, and charging infrastructure for electric vessels.

Thursday's decision shifts money from future years into the Berkeley Pier Ferry Project’s current budget.

The move also increases the annual allocation from $110,000 to $1.41 million while preserving SF Bay Ferry’s total $3 million commitment.

Structural deterioration forced officials to close the existing pier in 2015.

Berkeley published the final environmental impact report Nov. 3.

Next, the Berkeley City Council will consider project approval, certification of the environmental report, and a use permit Tuesday. City’s project update

Officials aim to begin the first construction phase in spring 2028, pending funding. Designers have completed 60% of the project’s design and expect to reach 90% by the end of 2026.

The construction phase carries an estimated $139 million price tag. That figure adjusts a roughly $106 million construction estimate to spring 2028 and adds allowances for contingency, design adjustments, construction management, project management, and special inspections.

The estimate excludes dredging, electric vessels, and solar panels.

The project follows years of planning and public outreach, including some 60 meetings since 2021, according to agency reports.

The original pier opened in 1926 to serve ferries traveling to San Francisco.

Ferry service stopped in 1937 after the Bay Bridge opened. Officials restored the first 3,000 feet for pedestrian access in the early 1960s.