BAY AREA BONANZA?
While it's okay for Tony Bennett to leave his heart in San Francisco, Bay Area public officials are hoping that he and any other commuters to the city will leave their cars at home. One solution to the commuter crunch being proposed by public officials is ferries. The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA) has identified seven Bay Area cities for expanded ferry service in its initial plan. The WTA must submit its final business plan to the state legislature by December. If approved and funded, the first boats could be in the water by 2007 with the system reaching 44 boats by 2015.

"A new ferry system has the potential to supplement other public transit and to reduce trips across the bridge by as many as 25,000 trips per day," says WTA CEO Tom Bertken. "Our goal is relieving traffic congestion by providing more transportation options." Bertken says a fleet of just 31 new boats could carry the same number of daily passengers as an exponential number of buses.

Under the WTA plan, existing service would be expanded and new routes would connect San Francisco to Berkeley, Richmond ,·Treasure Island, Antioch/Martinez, Hercules/Rodeo, South San Francisco and Redwood City.

A route between Port Sonoma and San Francisco is also being studied.

The state legislature is expected to act on the WTA's plan, which could cost $665 million over ten years, in 2003.

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