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City council OKs study for the WTA expansion
Study would determine if ferry system could expand to South Bay
By Jana Seshadri
The Sunnyvale City Council on Jan. 29 unanimously approved a study by the Water Transit Authority to expand the ferry system to the South Bay.
"Water transit is one of the oldest forms of transport," Mayor Fred Fowler said. "I think it's very wise to fully explore this idea because there's a lot of potential."
"The study will take another two years and a lot of details have to be worked out," said Vice Mayor Julia Miller, who represents the city of Sunnyvale on the Citizens Advisory Committee. The committee provides input from local agencies to the WTA board of directors.
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority, created in 1999, is the new regional agency mandated to plan, expand and coordinate ferry service for the Bay Area. After weighing all the costs, benefits and potential environmental impacts of the ferry expansion service, the WTA is required to present a specific plan for implementation to the California Legislature by the end of this year. The WTA is currently working on the
Environmental Impact Report and the Implementation and Operations Plan to submit to the state Legislature later this year.
According to WTA CEO Thomas Bertken, the expansion of the ferry service to the South Bay will not only mitigate the traffic congestion, which already affects the Bay Area, but also will respond efficiently and effectively to emergency situations, like the ferries did after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Referring to the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, Bertken said it was the ferry system that was able to transport people back and forth between New York and New Jersey when all other forms of transportation were forced out of commission.
Bertken said ferries currently carry more than 13,000 passengers daily and about 4,200 during peak commute hours.
"The WTA's aim is to build a public transit system with several routes that will connect all areas within proximity to the Bay," Bertken said.
The plan would also ensure environmental responsiveness, shoreline protection, air quality and protection of marine habitat, he added.
Joel Suty, of the WTA Technical Advisory Committee, commended the city of Sunnyvale for consistently taking on leadership roles and requested that the city remain proactive.
"Sunnyvale will once again have the opportunity to be thrust into the leadership role for the whole South Bay," Suty said.
He added that the NASA development plan does not include the WTA Moffett Field Ferry Terminal and urged the council to endorse the study.
Even though a financial plan has yet to be drawn up, Bertken said, the WTA would be responsible for the necessary infrastructure, such as docking areas for the ferries and parking lots for cars.
Local resident Werner Gans said at the meeting the city should review the study plans carefully before making a decision, since many traffic and public transit issues are riding on this study. Gans said much money has been put into other forms of transportation, such as light rail, without the expected return on the investment.
"The plan has to be cost competitive and has to carry its weight," Councilman Tim Risch said.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
