Navigable Approaches to New San Francisco Bay Area Ferry Terminals

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA) is enhancing existing ferry services in San Francisco Bay by adding new passenger ferry terminals to locations in San Francisco Bay. Engineering studies have been performed to date for new passenger ferry terminals that are currently planned at South San Francisco, Berkeley and Hercules. The proposed terminals are located along various different types of shorelines with diverse physical and biological conditions. In order to develop safe navigable approaches and avoid potential adverse impacts from ferry traffic on these existing physical and biological conditions, the WTA has performed comprehensive engineering studies, including impacts of wake wash on the shorelines, biological resources and navigation safety. Wake wash studies have been conducted for the aforementioned three proposed terminals consisting of a three-tiered approach that includes the following: 1) Programmatic Environmental Impact Report - preliminary determination of potential issues on a system-wide level, 2) Wake Wash Measurement Protocol - standardization of the procedure for measuring wake wash and defining vessel wake wash performance criteria, 3) Site-Specific Wake Wash Impact Analysis - detailed wake wash impact analyses on shorelines, biological resources, and navigation safety for each new route. The Programmatic EIR study was completed and assisted in the first stage of selection of potential WTA ferry terminal locations. Following completion of the Programmatic EIR, the WTA developed and issued the WTA Wake Wash Measurement Protocol, which describes in detail appropriate procedures for measurement and analysis of wake wash to facilitate consistency and comparability between vessels and measurements. The WTA Wake Wash Protocol has become a practical tool for vessel and terminal engineers in San Francisco Bay and elsewhere. Terminal and route site-specific studies have been completed for three currently proposed terminal locations and included the following components: existing data review and collection, site visits and field data collection, wake wash transformation and existing physical processes numerical modeling, wake wash impact numerical modeling and ferry field tests. The state-of-the-art impact analysis methodology and technology applied to each potential ferry terminal by the WTA is part of the WTA's proactive and environmentally conscious effort to implementing ferry service in San Francisco Bay.