Each year, an estimated 18 billion pounds of plastic is dumped into our oceans from coastal regions. According to a study by the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of pollution, there will be more plastics than fish, by weight, in the ocean by 2050. Each year, an estimated 18 billion pounds of […]
News
A Green New Deal for a Blue Old Bay
Our children’s San Francisco Bay could be much bleaker than the beautiful Bay we all know and love today. Within their lifetimes, rising water might flood toxic hotspots, industrial facilities and sewage treatment plants, spreading pollution through the Bay and into neighborhoods. Warming Bay waters will likely cause toxic algae blooms, spread new diseases to […]
Ferry Short Takes
Six months after it began, weekday ridership on the new Richmond ferry continues to grow, far outpacing expectations for its first year. Richmond Ferry Service Update: Six months after it began, weekday ridership on the new Richmond ferry continues to grow, far outpacing expectations for its first year. WETA Manager of Public Information Thomas […]
Hydrogen Ferry Moves Closer to Reality
Welding torches spark inside a giant construction shed on the northern shore of Alameda Island, where a dozen workers are attaching pre-cut aluminum plates to the ribs of a new catamaran ferry boat. Welding torches spark inside a giant construction shed on the northern shore of Alameda Island, where a dozen workers are attaching […]
Kris Brown
What if, instead of taking the ferry to work, the ferry was your work? That’s what was going through Kris Brown’s mind as he’d use the ferry to commute to his office job for years, from Oakland to San Francisco. What if, instead of taking the ferry to work, the ferry was your work? […]
Coast Guard Weighs Pulling the Plug on VTS Radar
BY DAN ROSENHEIM Published: August, 2019 The Coast Guard is looking at a plan to reduce costs by defunding the four radar installations in its Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) in and around San Francisco Bay, as well as other radar installations in 11 other major harbors around the country. The plan was communicated to the […]
Port of Oakland Searches for New Chief
Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle retired in July after 53 years in trade and transportation, although he has agreed to remain as a consultant to the port through the end of 2019. “Chris Lytle is one of the best-known and most respected executives in the industry and it has been our good fortune […]
Hovering Closer
Hovercraft just got a major boost as a potential source of ferry service on the Bay as Water Emergency Transit Authority (WETA) directors voted to begin a formal evaluation of the boats that float on a cushion of air. The decision to spend about $500,000—and possibly more—on a hovercraft feasibility study was not unexpected. Interest […]