OAKLAND (KPIX) – With the Bay Area out of the pandemic, people are turning to public transportation to get around. BART is ramping up to a busy schedule and now an Oakland city councilor wants ferry services to expand. Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan wants to increase the frequency of the ferries and add new routes.

“I think it will be good to expand the service,” said Tourist Talib Coffield. “It’s a really good way to cross the bay from San Francisco.”

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“For me, it’s a great way to get there without the hassle of the bridge,” says John Klimeck, who lives in Oakland.

Visitors and residents alike enjoy taking the ferry to and from Oakland. On July 1, the Water Emergency Transportation Authority is offering a direct 25-minute drive from Oakland to San Francisco.

Thomas Hall, a WETA spokesperson, says, “We don’t want people to get into their cars after this pandemic. We want you to try out local public transport and especially the ferry. “

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In 2016, WETA developed a strategic 20 year plan to expand the service to add ferry terminals from Redwood City to Mission Bay.

But there is a big hurdle. The financing. Regional Measure 3, passed by voters in 2018, is still under litigation as an anti-tax group argues that the $ 1 toll increase for 7 bridges in the Bay Area is a local tax as it would fund programs unrelated to bridges have to do. Therefore not the 2/3 vote that is required under state law to pass.

“If the courts approve the 2018 voter vote and release some of that money, it can potentially fuel much of the expansion we talked about,” Hall says.

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WETA says it is also closely monitoring the Howard Terminal Ballpark’s proposal and has held preliminary talks with the A’s. The terminal is just a few blocks from the proposed location.

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