Plans for Antioch ferry terminal sailing along
Dateline:
06/24/2008Though a long voyage to completion remains, plans to bring a ferry terminal to the Antioch waterfront are starting to move forward at a good clip.
Last week, the San Francisco Bay Water Emergency Transportation Authority picked consulting firm ESA to conduct an environmental study looking at three possible sites along Antioch's shoreline that could serve as a ferry harbor.
The ferry terminal could be located at the Antioch Marina at the end of L Street; downtown at the end of I Street; or northeast of downtown at Fulton Shipyard. A previous report by the water authority when the idea was first floated tabbed the I Street location at the pier near the Riverview Lodge as the "preferred site."
Concurrently, Antioch is looking at a downtown parking study that could accommodate the I Street location, said Victor Carniglia, a city planner. Officials are also lobbying in Sacramento and Washington on Antioch's behalf to secure funds.
The Water Emergency Transportation Authority — formerly the Water Transit Authority — has sought to expand ridership by adding seven new routes and launching a new fleet of high-speed, fuel-efficient boats. Antioch, along with Martinez, Richmond and Hercules, are Contra Costa cities considering ferry service.
The water board mandate was expanded last year to include emergency transportation in the wake of a natural disaster or terrorist strikes. The change led to some uncertainty about plans and securing funding.
However, WETA officials said they received final authorization from the state Office of Homeland Security for the project and to spend money from Proposition 1B on the study.
The environmental impact report could take up to year and a half to complete, said John Sindzinski, a planning manager with the water authority. It could take a few more years to design the terminal and build it, barring any unforeseen snags, officials said.
The proposed ferry service would be either a direct route from Antioch to San Francisco or a combined route to San Francisco with a possible stop in Martinez, according to an authority report.
Councilman Arne Simonsen, who's been working closely with the Bay Area water agencies to lobby for the ferry service, said the city is still pursuing grants to move the project forward. The estimated cost of the project is slightly less than $20 million.
Antioch is well-suited for a ferry terminal compared with other communities because of the deep water of the San Joaquin River, he said.
A terminal at the I Street location is the "preferred site," according to a transportation authority report, because it's "easily accessible by bicycle or foot given its central location and the short, walkable blocks in downtown," the report said. " ... Bus service directly to the ferry terminal can be timed with ferry departures, creating a seamless transit ride for passengers."
However, the area may not have sufficient parking or good access for emergency vehicles, according to the report.
In June 2007, the City Council authorized a study exploring the potential impacts of growth in the area on parking. The results should be presented later this summer, Carniglia said.
Leaders say the ferry terminal — particularly the I Street location — could pump life into the city's Rivertown Business District, once the core of Antioch. Simonsen said the terminal itself wouldn't directly create jobs but could bring them to the vicinity.
Passengers would "want to grab breakfast before the ferry or dinner once they get home," or other shops may be encouraged to open, he said.
In addition to ferrying commuters to San Francisco, the service could also bring visitors to downtown Antioch, Councilman Jim Davis said.
Ferries could also give Delta tours, Simonsen said.
Mayor Donald Freitas said the ferry terminal would be a "wonderful catalyst for the whole community," particularly the older downtown area.
"Hopefully, it creates a new vibrancy for the area. Most people thought (the ferry terminal) was a pipe dream, so it's exciting to see it moving along," he said, adding that along with eBART — the proposed BART extension into East County — and the widening of Highway 4, it helps give commuters "as many options as possible."
Paul Burgarino can be reached at 925-779-7164.
Source:
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