Silicon Valley is a victim of its own success. The great economic expansion of the 90s
has turned the Bay Area's clogged highways into serpentine parking lots. With traffic congestion expected to increase by 249% by 2020, the Bay Area's arteries are in dire need of a transportation angioplasty. That's where the San Francisco Water Transit Authority comes in. The newly formed WTA has been charged with developing what would be the world’s largest regional ferry system-one that could eventually include 35 to 40 terminals and as many as 120 ferries.
In this interview with contributing editor John Snyder, WTA’s CEO Tom Bertken discusses some of the enormous operational, environmental and financial issues the agency must grapple with in order to turn the concept of a Bay Area regional ferry network into a reality.
MARINE LOG: Tell us about your background. Why did you get involved in the WTA?
BERTKEN: For most of my professional career I have been involved in planning and building transportation facilities in the Bay Area. I have led the development of projects involving bridges across the Bay, the expansion of the region’s airports and ports and extensions to the BART system. Although I was heading for retirement and “the good life,” when this opportunity came up I had to change my plans. The opportunity to once again use my experience and knowledge in addressing the serious transportation issues was too enticing.
MARINE LOG: The California State Legislature provided the WTA with $12 million to design, build and operate an expanded regional ferry system. Part of the development process will be a number of technical studies. Can you tell us what they are and when you expect to complete them?
BERTKEN: The California Legislature required the WTA to produce an Implementation and Operations Plan with recommendations on new routes, design of vessels and terminals and multi-modal connections. The plan will analyze the costs of the proposed system, recommended sources for funding it and a comparison of its cost effectiveness versus other public transportation investments. By December 12, 2002, the WTA plans to submit a draft Implementation and Operations Plan to the California Legislature. We expect the Legislature to review and act on our recommendations in Spring/Summer 2003.
The WTA will also produce a programmatic review of the enhanced system in compliance with both federal and state laws. To complete both the environmental review and the Implementation Plan, we will undertake a series of technical studies such as ridership demand forecasts, system costs and cost-effectiveness, intermodal and terminal access planning, and studies on air and water quality. The California Legislature in the statute that created the WTA in 1999 specified these studies.
This fall, we will begin scoping meetings for the programmatic environmental review documents. We are planning to have a draft EIR available for public comment in Fall 2002. Currently, our proposed date for final certification of the EIR/EIS is June 2003.
MARINE LOG: What sources of funding will you tap to develop and operate such a comprehensive regional ferry system?
BERTKEN: We will need a dedicated funding source to cover the operational costs of an enhanced regional ferry system. San Francisco Bay is an underutilized transit corridor. An increased toll and coordinated transit links to ferry terminals will help our region use the Bay more effectively to move people and improve the quality of life.
Currently, we are targeting new revenues that may become available from an increase in the bridge tolls. We aren’t the only Bay Area transit agency looking at this new revenue source. The region needs an infusion of cash to meet the demand for new transit investments that will relieve the gridlock. Water transit needs to be part of that list. In some instances, developing new ferry routes or improving headways may turn out to be more cost effective than other major transportation projects.
We also will look at all viable sources of state and federal programs to cover operating and capital costs. The reauthorization of TEA-21 gives our agency a chance to look at funding opportunities for operating costs, construction of vessels and terminals. We will be working with our Bay Area delegation and local officials to pursue new funding sources for water transit.
In seeking new federal dollars, the whole area of alternative fuels and propulsion systems is particularly of interest to us. In the last round of TEA-21, the whole issue of diesel emissions from ferries hadn’t emerged. Now it has and in the next round of TEA-21 or through other pieces of federal legislation we will be advocating for demonstration projects that will fund the first fleet of “green ferries.”
MARINE LOG: What is the WTA doing to address the concerns of environmentalists regarding diesel engine emissions and wake wash?
BERTKEN: The WTA has launched a very proactive program to test vessel emissions. A team of highly qualified technical consultants will be selected to undertake these tests. Additionally, the WTA will be studying the feasibility of alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, CNG, LPG, water-emulsified fuel and fuel cells. We will also study emission control devices and alternative vessel propulsion systems such as solar and wind power. We are entering into a partnership with the Maritime Administration (MarAd) that will bring the expertise and resources of other federal agencies to augment our own work.
We know the environmental community and regulators are very interested in the “cutting edge” work that we will be doing in the area of marine vessel emissions. We understand that the federal government may use the results of the WTA’s studies in setting national emissions standards for marine vessels. To help us develop our work program in this area, we will be convening an ad hoc work group, “Clean Marine Work Group,”of representatives from leading environmental groups, ferry operators and regulators.
Minimization of wake is one of many issues that we are addressing through research on state-of-the-art technologies like innovative hull designs and futuristic propulsion systems.
MARINE LOG: How will the WTA work with public and private ferry operators to develop the regional ferry network?
BERTKEN: All of the public and private operators are members of our Technical Advisory Committee, as required by our enabling legislation. WTA staff and its consultants are in the process of meeting with ferry operators individually to get a first hand assessment of their operational and capital needs. We will probably also convene ad hoc groups of ferry operators to review and comment on our technical studies. We have great respect for the expertise and years of experience of these operators. We want to build on their work and add value in the form of a coordinated planning and funding effort for them.
MARINE LOG: What do you see as the WTA’s toughest hurdle?
BERTKEN: Money. To set up shop as an "operating agency,” the WTA will have to persuade local and state policymakers that water transit is a worthwhile investment in the Bay Area’s network of public transportation. We have to persuade policymakers that the ridership demand will be there if we improve the system and make it as convenient and affordable as other public transit modes. We certainly don’t believe that water transit is the end all solution or the solution for everyone. However, after the studies are in, we will be able to show that there are major corridors in the Bay Area where water transit can relieve congestion in a timely and cost-effective way.
