Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 1
Prepared by Lisa Foster, Acting Transportation Planning Manager, City of Alameda Updated August 2024
ALAMEDA FERRY TERMINAL
PARKING PRICING STRATEGY
Exhibit 1
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 2
Figure 1: Main Street Ferry Terminal
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 3 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Ferry Terminal Information ....................................................................................................................... 5 How People Get to the Ferry .................................................................................................................... 5 Ferry Ridership & Parking Lot Occupancy Increasing ............................................................................... 7 Nearby Transit Parking Lot Pricing Comparison ....................................................................................... 8 Alameda Policies for Demand-Responsive Parking Pricing ....................................................................... 9 FERRY TERMINAL PARKING PRICING STRATEGY ......................................................................................... 10 Pricing Structure ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Parking Pricing for Weekday Commuter Ferry Terminals................................................................... 10 Parking Pricing for Weekend/Evening/Short Hop Ferry Parking ........................................................ 11 Other Considerations .......................................................................................................................... 12 Trip Cost Comparison with Paid Ferry Parking ....................................................................................... 13 Methods of Payment and Public Communications ................................................................................ 14 Cost and Revenue Estimates ................................................................................................................... 15 Uses of Revenues .................................................................................................................................... 16 Managing Spillover Parking ..................................................................................................................... 16
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Parking management and pricing is an effective tool for reducing congestion, supporting transit, and supporting active forms of transportation such as walking and bicycling. The City of Alameda (City) is beginning paid parking at ferry terminals to help ensure available parking for ferry riders who need to drive, and to meet City goals related to mode shift and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Ferry terminal parking payment is required by multiple City of Alameda adopted plans, including the City of Alameda Strategic Plan (2023), General Plan (2021), Transportation Choices Plan (2018), and the Alameda Point Transportation Management Plan (2014). In addition, the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (2019) includes parking management as a key strategy to reduce emissions from the single occupancy vehicle trips.
This document establishes two goals, each with a supporting strategy:
Goal 1: Reduce commute hour drive alone trips.
Strategy 1: At weekday commuter-oriented ferry terminals (Harbor Bay and Seaplane Lagoon), set a low, baseline $3/day parking fee to incentivize people to avoid driving alone to the ferry terminal, but without pushing them to avoid the ferry altogether, starting in spring 2023. Charge for parking by the hour or day (no monthly parking permit) to encourage people to take non- driving modes when convenient.
Goal 2: Maintain parking availability for ferry riders.
Strategy 2: Modify parking prices incrementally based on demand. At limited intervals (on a quarterly basis at most), shift parking rates up by $1.00/day if the parking lot is 90% full after last morning ferry, and reduce the rate by $1.00/day if the parking lot is 60% occupied or lower.
Paid parking should not begin at the Main Street ferry terminal until parking occupancies reach 85% two quarters in a row (currently 21% full on weekdays). The City should also consider a needs-based low- income daily parking pass program, and implement such a program whenever feasible. It should not allow daily parking rates to rise above $7/day unless such a program is established.
The proposed pricing structure starts at a low baseline. The recommended $3/day rate is on the low end of Bay Area transit lots with paid parking, which range from $2.00 (Golden Gate Ferry Larkspur) to $3.55 (BART Fruitvale, Lake Merritt, & Coliseum) to $5.50 (Caltrain) to $8 (Vallejo ferry) and $13.75 (West Oakland BART station). Parking around ferry terminals in San Francisco generally has higher costs, though the Richmond and Jack London Square ferry terminals offer free parking.
This strategy’s baseline daily fee is designed to ensure that the ferry is still a competitive option compared to driving to BART or all the way to San Francisco (see Figures 5 and 6). Ridership has continued to increase at Alameda ferry terminals, and parking lots are filling up. Based on five midweek parking occupancy counts in August 2024, the Harbor Bay lot averaged 97% full and Seaplane Lagoon 89% full. The busiest observed day demonstrated the need for a parking management as ridership grows: Harbor Bay had just one space available and Seaplane Lagoon was completely full, not including disability spaces.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 4
The City is in a good position to encourage alternate modes of transportation to the ferries, particularly the commuter-oriented ferries where this strategy calls for parking payment in the near term. A 2019 statistically significant survey found that two-thirds of residents say they could replace some car trips with walking or biking, and more than half believe they would drive less if biking and walking in Alameda were safer and more comfortable. All three ferry terminals are served by low-stress walking and biking facilities, and the City’s Active Transportation Plan (2022) includes plans to upgrade and connect these facilities throughout Alameda. In WETA’s 2022 on-board survey, 40% of ferry riders already reported walking and biking to the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal and 33% to Seaplane Lagoon. Main Street had lower walking and biking numbers at 21%, but a significantly higher percentage (26%) reported carpooling to that terminal. AC Transit also has a direct line reaching the Harbor Bay ferry terminal.
After the baseline fee is initiated, this strategy uses demand-responsive pricing to ensure open parking spaces for riders on later ferries. Adjusting parking prices based on demand, with the goal of creating parking availability, is an established best practice utilized by cities like Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco. The City of Alameda’s General Plan calls for demand-responsive pricing to ensure open parking spaces, as does the Transportation Choices Plan. Alameda Municipal Code also supports adjusting parking rates to meet parking occupancy goals.
This Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy also aligns with recommendations from a 2015 study by WETA, which included paid parking at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal with rates starting at $2.50/day ($3.32 in today’s dollars) and increasing when parking occupancy reaches 95%.
Figure 2: Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 5
BACKGROUND
Ferry Terminal Information
Alameda manages parking lots at three ferry terminals, having taken over management from WETA in July 2021.
Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal
• Direct weekday ferry service between Alameda and downtown San Francisco • 400-space parking lot, including 9 disability spaces and 10 EV charging spaces • AC Transit Line 96 stops 0.4 miles away
• Walking & biking access via the Cross Alameda Trail, the low-stress cross-town bicycling and walking corridor
• Space for 24 bikes in lockers plus 62 bikes on racks
Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal
• Direct weekday commute ferry service between Alameda and downtown San Francisco • 250-space parking lot, including 6 disability spaces
• Served by AC Transit Line 21 – free with transfer to the ferry • Walking & biking access via the Bay Trail walking/biking path in addition to sidewalks and regular bike lanes
• Space for 24 bikes in lockers plus 20 bikes on racks
Main Street Ferry Terminal
• Ferry service focusing on midday, evening, and weekend service to Oakland, then downtown San Francisco, as well as “short hop” trips to Oakland and back. • 305 spaces in two lots at the ferry terminal, including 9 disability spaces (additional 121 spaces in the O’lot one quarter mile away, currently closed)
• No bus line (for people traveling to Oakland, AC Transit focuses on bus routes that go through the tube)
• Walking & biking access along walking/biking paths and bike lanes • Space for 20 bikes in lockers plus 30 bikes on racks
How People Get to the Ferry
WETA’s 2022 On-Board Passenger Survey found that 40-50% of people reported driving alone to the ferry terminals (WETA has conducted a 2024 survey but the analysis is not complete). Many people use active modes to get to the ferry, with 40% of people walking and biking to Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, 33% to Seaplane Lagoon, and 21% to Main Street. Over a quarter of people reported carpooling to Main Street, possibly because people were doing recreational outings together. Few people reported taking AC Transit buses, with only 2% taking the bus to Harbor Bay and less than 1% to Seaplane Lagoon (using the trial Line 78, which is no longer in service).
Figure 3: Mode of Access, 2022 WETA On-Board Passenger Survey Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 6
See Appendix I for percentages.
There is room to increase biking and walking rates beyond these numbers: a 2019 statistically significant survey1 found that two-thirds of residents say they could replace some car trips with walking or biking.
In addition, more than half believe they would drive less if biking and walking in Alameda were safer and more comfortable. The City has created a premier, cross-town, low-stress walking and biking facility leading to the Seaplane Lagoon terminal: the Cross Alameda Trail now spans three miles of Alameda, with more under construction in 2024, and yet more in 2025. In addition, major walking and biking improvements will be constructed on the western segment of Central Avenue beginning in late 2024 or early 2025, making another important connection to Seaplane Lagoon. Harbor Bay is served by the Bay Trail shared path, in addition to sidewalk facilities and regular bike lanes. There is a shared-use path to Main Street. The City has plans to improve connections to these facilities from all over Alameda: the Active Transportation Plan includes a connected, all-ages and abilities walking and bicycling network to be implemented by 2030.
1 Survey by EMC Research: https://www.activealameda.org/files/sharedassets/transport/appendix -b-summaries- of-community-survey-and-public-engagement_nov22.pdf
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 7
Ferry Ridership & Parking Lot Occupancy Increasing
Ferry ridership is increasing at Alameda’s two commuter-oriented ferry terminals, and so is parking occupancy. Ferry ridership was a third higher at Seaplane Lagoon and Harbor Bay ferry terminals in July 2024 compared to July 2023.
Table 1: Ferry Ridership Increases from July 2023 to July 20242
Harbor
Bay
Seaplane
Lagoon
Oakland &
Alameda
Total ridership July 2023 17,345 23,998 79,069
Total ridership July 2024 23,160 31,935 80,651
% change +34% +33% +2%
With increased ridership, the parking lots are filling up. Based on five midweek parking occupancy counts in August 2024, the Harbor Bay lot averaged 97% full and Seaplane Lagoon 89% full. The busiest observed day demonstrated the need for a parking management: Harbor Bay had just one space available and Seaplane Lagoon was completely full, not including disability spaces.
Figure 4: Parking Occupancy: Percent of Spaces Full Mid-Week, November 2022 vs August 2024
2 Source: WETA Board Packet, August 8, 2024. Oakland & Alameda route includes Jack London Square ridership as well as Alameda Main St.
80%
88%
17%
89%
97%
21%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Seaplane Lagoon (400 spaces) Harbor Bay (250 spaces) Main Street (305 spaces) November 2022 August 2024
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 8
Nearby Transit Parking Lot Pricing Comparison
Current pricing at area parking lots serving public transportation centers varies from $2/day at the Larkspur ferry terminal to $8 at the Vallejo ferry terminal to $13.75 at BART’s West Oakland station. A price survey is below.
Table 2: Current Pricing at Nearby Transit Parking Lots (sorted by distance from Alameda) Location Daily Monthly
(rounded)
General Paid
Parking Hours
Notes
BART Fruitvale, Lake
Merritt, & Coliseum
$3.55 $124 4:00 am - 3:00 pm
Mon-Fri
Includes an 18.5% tax to
the City of Oakland
Jack London Square
ferry
Free
(12
hours)
n/a All days/hours Parking is free with ferry
transfer due to a long-
standing agreement
between City of Oakland
and WETA
BART West Oakland $13.75 $311 4:00 am - 3:00 pm
Mon-Fri
See above
Caltrain system-wide $5.50 $82 All days/hours Only available to Caltrain monthly pass
holders
AC Transit Richmond
Parkway Transit Center
$3.00 n/a Not listed
Richmond Ferry
Terminal
Free Free
AC Transit Ardenwood
(Fremont)
Free $50
(reserved
spaces)
Monthly passes are sold
out with no wait list.
Golden Gate Ferry
(Larkspur)
$2.00 $20.00 5:00 am - 1:00 pm
Mon-Fri
Vallejo Ferry $8 $50 All days/hours
Valley Transportation
Authority (VTA) Park
and Ride Berryessa &
Milpitas lots
$3.00 $50 All days/hours
BART adopted a revised parking policy on September 27, 2023. The new policy established revised floor and ceiling parking rates, with no ceiling for parking prices at the West Oakland Station.
Table 3: BART Parking Policy (2023)
Parking Type Definition Floor Ceiling
Daily Fee Purchase daily on a first come, first served basis $3/day $6.30/day Single/Multi-day Purchase in advance, one or more days at a time $4/day $11/day Monthly Purchase on a monthly basis $84/month $220/month * Rates to not include local jurisdictions city taxes. For instance, the consumer cost at Fruitvale BART station is $3.55, not $3.00.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 9
These rates do not include local city taxes, some examples include Oakland (18.5%), Berkeley (10%), and San Francisco (25%). Furthermore, the revised policy includes provisions for periodic rate adjustments within the floor and ceiling values, including options to increase the rates by 30% every six months or lower rates at any time. Rates may be increased if occupancy or sales exceed 90% or lowered if below 70%, and rates may be discounted during periods of low demand (e.g. time of day, day of the week, or time of the year). Additionally, the revised policy states that effective January 1, 2025, each time rates are adjusted for inflation, the floor and ceiling values may be adjusted by the same percent, not to exceed a maximum value of $8.00/day, $11/day, and $220/month for the Daily Fee, Single-Multi-day, and Monthly parking costs respectively.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) piloted demand-responsive parking pricing in its SFpark pilot that launched in 2010 and became citywide policy in 2017. Current policies for on- street parking state: “Citywide changes to the metered parking rates may be made no more often than once every four weeks, and typically are made once per quarter. In order to achieve the goal of at least one available parking space per block or lot, meter rates are adjusted with the goal of maintaining no more than 80% occupancy on any given block or lot. Rates are adjusted using the following formula:
when occupancy is 80 percent or above, the hourly rate is raised by $0.25; when occupancy is 60 percent or above but below 80 percent, the hourly rate is not changed; [and] when occupancy is below 60 percent, the hourly rate is lowered by $0.25.” While the SFMTA doesn’t have a written policy for price changes in off-street garages, they conduct demand-responsive pricing in garages on a quarterly basis, using an 80% occupancy threshold for price increases in $1.00/hour increments.
Alameda Policies for Demand-Responsive Parking Pricing
The 2021 Alameda General Plan calls for demand-responsive parking pricing at all ferry terminals (ME-21 d), and for prices aimed at meeting an 85% parking occupancy goal in on-street parking and surface lots (ME-21 a and c). The 2018 Transportation Choices Plan Projects also calls for paid parking at ferry terminals (projects 5 & 6) and demand-responsive parking pricing at paid parking citywide (project 7).
Alameda Municipal Code also enables parking rate changes to support parking occupancy goals:
12-4.5. The City Council hereby establishes a range of acceptable hourly meter rates for public off-street lots between zero ($0.00) dollars and five ($5.00) dollars. The Public Works Director is authorized to adjust hourly parking meter rates within this approved range consistent with the goal of achieving an eighty-five (85%) percent occupancy target. Hourly rates may vary based upon the time of year, time of week, or time of day. Meter rate changes must be published a minimum of two (2) weeks in advance of implementation and shall be maintained on file at the Public Works Department.
This strategy is consistent with the 2019 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, the 2018 Transportation Choices Plan. The Alameda Point Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan (2014) states that public parking should not be free on Alameda Point and requires the City to charge for off-street parking lots and garages. The Alameda Point Conceptual Planning Guide (2013) says the parking program should incentivize the use of alternative modes of transportation including public transit, shuttles, biking, and walking.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 10
FERRY TERMINAL PARKING PRICING STRATEGY
Pricing Structure
The City should have different pricing structures for its two ferry terminals that primarily provide weekday commute service to San Francisco (Harbor Bay and Seaplane Lagoon) vs. its terminal that focuses on weekend and evening travel and short hops to Oakland (Main Street).
Parking Pricing for Weekday Commuter Ferry Terminals
At the Harbor Bay and Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminals, which primarily provide weekday commute service to San Francisco, parking pricing strategies will help achieve two goals:
• Reduce commute hour drive alone trips. To help meet the City’s commuter mode shift goals, a $3 minimum daily parking fee will apply on weekdays at the Seaplane Lagoon and Harbor Bay ferry terminals even if parking occupancy is low.
• Ensure that parking spaces are available for all morning ferries. If the parking lots begin filling up before the last morning ferry, the price will rise in order to open up parking spaces. Prices will only rise above the minimum rate when the lots are too full.
Table 4: Ferry Terminal Commuter Parking Pricing Plan
Rate
type
Min. Max* Price reduction
threshold
Price increase
threshold
Maximum
frequency of price
changes
Daily $3/day $7/day Price decreases
$1.00 when
occupancy is 60%
or lower after last
morning ferry (but
not below $3.00)
Price increases
$1.00 when
occupancy is 90%
or higher after last
morning ferry (up
to given maximum)
Quarterly
Hourly $0.75/
hour
$2.50/hour Set price based on daily rate, so that 4
hours at hourly rate equals the daily
rate. Hourly rate will be set in
increments of $0.25.
Quarterly
* Maximum rate without a needs-based low-income daily parking pass.
The paid parking hours should start the hour the first morning ferry leaves and last until commuters start to return, 6:00 am to 4:00 pm based on current schedules. The City could also consider 6:00 am to 3:00 pm.
The City should not set up a monthly parking permit program because this would incentivize daily automobile travel. Monthly parking permits create a sunk cost: once a person pays for a parking permit, there is no savings from walking, biking, or taking transit to work when it’s convenient. A simple day rate means that people who often drive are more likely to try biking on a sunny day, or take transit when they aren’t planning to run errands after work.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 11
This strategy uses a 90% occupancy rate to trigger rate increases rather than the City’s standard of 85% parking occupancy. This is because the needs for commuter transit parking lots are different than commercial parking areas: for these lots, the City’s goal is to ensure open parking spaces up to the last morning ferry rather than at all times. The 90% occupancy trigger offers some cushion between quarterly occupancy counts, though the City could also consider using the 95% occupancy trigger recommended in WETA’s 2014 study for Harbor Bay paid parking. Below are the number of spaces left at various parking occupancies.
Table 5: Options for Parking Occupancy Trigger for Price Increases Ferry Terminal Spaces
available at
85% occupied
Spaces
available at
90% occupied
(recommended)
Spaces
available at
95% occupied
Seaplane Lagoon (400 spaces) 60 40 20
Harbor Bay (250 spaces) 37 25 12
Main Street (305 spaces) 45 30 15
Parking Pricing for Weekend/Evening/Short Hop Ferry Parking Service from the Main Street Ferry Terminal focuses on midday, evening, and weekend travel to Oakland and then San Francisco, and for “short hops” to Oakland and back. Parking pricing at this terminal will only aim to manage parking availability and will not have direct mode shift goals. This is because, in the case of recreational and occasional travel, parking pricing is less influential for daily habits. The short hop service is meant for commuters but is a relatively small service.
Parking at the Main Street Ferry Terminal should remain free until parking lot occupancy reaches 85% for at least two quarters in a row. Current occupancy counts are far below this (21% in August 2024), so parking will remain free unless habits or service models change dramatically. The trigger is set to 85% rather than higher because it takes time to purchase and install paid parking infrastructure. In order to offset costs for payment infrastructure, once begun, parking payment will continue for at least two years even if parking occupancy dips lower.
Parking payment and pricing for the two lots right next to the Main Street ferry terminal will be done as one unit. The City also manages the 121-space O’lot one quarter mile away. If needed, this lot should be managed separately with the same policy triggers. The City should price weekday and weekend parking separately, based on parking occupancy, as well.
At this point, there is no weekend service at the Seaplane Lagoon or Harbor Bay ferry terminals and parking occupancy is very low. We expect parking to remain free in these lots on weekends. However, if for some reason the parking lots begin to fill up on the weekends, the City should implement pricing as outlined in Table 4.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 12
Table 6: Ferry Terminal Non-Commuter Parking Pricing Plan Rate
Type
Minimum Max.* Price reduction
threshold
Price
increase
threshold
Maximum frequency
of price changes
Daily Free until parking
occupancy is 85%
two quarters in a
row.
If pricing begins,
the minimum is
$3.00/day
$7/day Price decreases
$1.00/day
when
occupancy is
60% or lower
at peak
3 Price
increases
$1.00/day
when
occupancy is
90% or higher
at peak
Quarterly
After two years, revert
back to free parking if
parking occupancy is
below 60% for three
quarters in a row
(inclusive of quarters
during the second
year).
Hourly If pricing begins:
$0.75/hour
$2.50/hour Set price based on daily rate, so
that 4 hours at hourly rate
matches the daily rate. Hourly
rate must be set in increments
of $0.25.
Quarterly; see above.
* Maximum rate without a needs-based low-income daily parking pass.
Other Considerations
Parking Pass for People with Low Incomes
The City can consider creating a needs-based low-income daily parking pass program, which would require significant staff time and logistical work. It should not allow daily parking rates to rise above $7/day unless such a program is established. A low-income rate would improve access and equitability while still allowing the City to charge a market rate overall to manage parking demand.
The City should explore regional needs-based programs that this program could leverage to process proof of income eligibility. It would be likely managed via electronic payment. Regular mobile parking payment should be set up first so technical issues are resolved before taking on the more logistically complicated needs-based program.
Carshare Exemption
Point-to-point carshare services with fleets of cars used 100% for carshare should be able to allow customers to park in ferry terminal parking lots for free. At this point, the only service like this operating in Alameda is Gig Carshare, but it is slated to close operations at the end of 2024. The City can consider reserving spaces for a round-trip car share programs like Getaround, as appropriate. This aligns with multiple plans calling for support of carshare, including General Plan CC-9a: “Support and encourage vehicle sharing to reduce the demand for vehicle parking and increase access to mobility.” Annual Reports
The City should provide to the Transportation Commission annual reports including parking lot occupancy, ferry ridership numbers, and observed spillover parking issues.
3 “Peak” will be defined based on parking occupancy counts on different days/timeframes.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 13
Trip Cost Comparison with Paid Ferry Parking
The $3/day baseline ferry commuter parking fee aims to create incentives for people to avoid driving alone to the ferry terminal without pushing them to avoid public transit altogether. Figure 5 shows that, with a $3/day parking fee, taking the bus, walking, or biking to the ferry terminals would be more cost- effective than driving. Yet driving to a ferry terminal would still be competitive with driving to BART, and substantially less expensive than driving all the way to San Francisco.
The rates will only rise above $3 if people are willing to pay higher prices to park at the ferry. If the City raises the price and it pushes people away from the ferry terminal, the City will reduce the price again.
Figure 5: Daily Round-Trip Costs from Alameda to Downtown San Francisco*
* Costs include cost of car or bike ownership. 4
4 Cost assumptions: $9.40 ferry round trip; free AC Transit bus rides with transfers; $1/day cost of owning a bicycle; $2.68 fuel/vehicle cost for 4 miles round trip driving to ferry; $7 Bay Bridge toll, $16.08 fuel/vehicle cost for 24 miles round trip to San Francisco, $18 parking cost example (early bird at Moscone Center Garage, the cheapest daily rate currently provided by municipal garages in the downtown/SOMA area). Gas/vehicle costs utilize the June 2024 IRS standard mileage rate of $0.67, rounded. Bicycle ownership per day is based on an estimate of $350/year, rounded to $1.00/day. There is wide variability in automobile and bicycle costs, and sunk costs (like vehicle or bicycle purchase) affect decision-making differently than marginal ones (like gas, transit fares, or daily parking fees). Nonetheless, these estimates provide context.
$9.40 $9.40 $10.40
$14.33 $15.08
$22.00
$41.08
Walk to
ferry
Transit to
ferry
Bike to ferry Drive to
BART
Drive to
ferry
Drive to SF
(free
parking)
Drive to SF
(paid
parking)
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 14
Table 7: Daily Round-Trip Costs, BART to San Francisco Embarcadero Station Modes Total Cost Cost assumptions, round trip*
Lake Merritt BART via bike $9.10 $8.10 BART, $1/day cost of owning a bicycle Fruitvale BART via bike $10.1 $9.10 BART, $1/day cost of owning a bicycle Lake Merritt BART via car $14.33 $8.10 BART, $3.55 parking, $2.68 gas/vehicle cost for 4 miles round trip
Fruitvale BART via car $15.33 $9.10 BART, $3.55 parking, $2.68 fuel/vehicle cost for 4 miles round trip
West Oakland BART via car $25.27 $7.50 BART, $13.75 parking, $4.02 fuel/vehicle cost for 6 miles round trip
Methods of Payment and Public Communications
Parking lot customers will have two options for parking payments: pay stations for in-person payment, and mobile payment that can be done after boarding a ferry. For both options, payments will be tied to the vehicle’s license plate. This is convenient to users because there is neither a need to memorize a space number nor return to a vehicle with a receipt. It also makes enforcement efficient using License Plate Reader-enabled parking enforcement vehicles.
Pay stations will be positioned at pedestrian exit routes close to the ferry terminals. Mobile payment will be provided via an independent service, which charges the user a small convenience fee. The service will allow users to pay by mobile application, web browser, or phone call. Parking enforcement technicians will be instructed not to enforce parking for 15 minutes after a ferry leaves so people have time to pay for parking after getting onto the ferry.
A mobile payment platform can also be used for managing digital parking permits. The City can explore using this to provide needs-based reduced-price options for low income ferry riders (this proposal limits daily parking rates to $7/hour unless such a program is created). The City will also bring mobile payment to parking meters in commercial areas and the Civic Center Parking Structure.
Signs in the parking lots will inform drivers about payment options and remind them to note their license plate number.
The City should coordinate with WETA to create an outreach plan that lets ferry riders know about upcoming parking fees at least 3 weeks before the fees are implemented. This should include on-board communications in addition to flyers on vehicles, a press release, social media posts, web updates on WETA and City webpages, and other methods.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 15
Cost and Revenue Estimates
The following cost and revenue projections estimate that the program will recover up-front capital investment costs at the proposed $3.00 daily rate, and the program will be net-positive in Year 1. Some of these net revenues are expected to cover additional security costs, which are not yet included in these estimates.f
Costs/Revenues Description5 Seaplane Lagoon Harbor Bay Cost Type Paid parking revenues $ 169,300 $ 113,160 Annual Citation revenues $ 190,500 $ 127,305 Annual Pay station purchases $ (34,800) $ (20,900) Up-front Pay station installation costs $ (3,000) $ (1,800) Up-front Pay station data fees $ (1,500) $ (900) Annual Payment Gateway fees $ (7,300) $ (4,900) Annual Merchant Processing fees $ (9,500) $ (6,300) Annual Mobile payment provider $ - $ - Annual Parking parking signage $ (5,500) $ (4,400) Up-front Outreach design and printing $ (1,600) $ (1,600) Annual Enforcement ongoing $ (72,900) $ (72,900) Annual Enforcement capital $ (40,300) $ (40,300) Up-front Operator for maintenance, pay
station management/collections,
payroll costs only
$ (28,100) $ (28,100) Annual Lot maintenance capital funds $ (5,300) $ (4,000) Annual Lot sweeping 2x/month $ (10,200) $ (5,100) Annual Parking occupancy data collection $ (2,900) $ (3,000) Annual Staff management for operations,
enforcement, & demand
responsive pricing
$ (21,200) $ (21,200) Annual Net Year 1 (without security costs) $ 115,700 $ 25,065 Net Year 2+ with no
price/occupancy changes (without
security costs)
$ 199,300 $ 92,465
5 This projection includes multiple assumptions, including an average compliance rate within the lots of 80% and a variable occupancy rate between 60%-85%, based on the City’s previous vehicle counts. Standard averages for citation capture rate (50%) and a citation collection rate (60%) are used to calculate citation revenues, these values can be adjusted in the workbook. Costs for citation processing are not included in the estimates. Furthermore, pay station revenues assume credit card payments only and associated costs for the collection and processing of cash revenues are not included in the estimate.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 16
Uses of Revenues
Revenues from ferry terminal parking payments and citations will go into the City’s Parking Fund, which supports parking management needs across the city. This parking fund includes all parking expenses and revenues such as parking meter collections and parking citations. This comprehensive fund allows the City to run the parking program cohesively and better achieve the program’s goal to be financially self- sufficient without the need for General Fund support.
In turn, the City’s parking fund will support additional security at ferry terminals, parking lot enforcement (equipment and personnel), pay stations, signage, and parking occupancy data collection.
The City may also use parking fund monies to pay for parking lot operators to manage cleaning, security, equipment maintenance, and more.
The parking fund is recovering from deficits from pandemic years, capital and personnel investments for the City’s new parking enforcement program (launched May 2022), and the cost to transition all single- space parking meters to 4G and repair and replace meters and pay stations. The City expects this parking fund to become revenue-positive in the future, at which point the City Council can determine the best uses of the funds. This could include improved bicycle and pedestrian connections, bicycle parking, etc.
Managing Spillover Parking
When payment is introduced at Harbor Bay, the City should dedicate more enforcement to the existing Residential Parking Permit zone near that terminal (this program is managed by a Homeowners Association and enforced by the City).
Managing spillover parking around the Seaplane Lagoon ferry terminal is more complicated due to undeveloped streets with no curbs and informal parking. Before implementing paid parking at the ferry terminal, the City will alert nearby leaseholders so they can improve signage prohibiting public parking at their lease-held properties. The City should also institute a 2-hour time limit at the shared plaza at the Seaplane Lagoon Promenade so those spaces can be used by park visitors. Staff should then monitor parking occupancies on West Atlantic and other nearby streets, and establish time-limited areas as needed.
The City can consider a daily parking permit for all-day on-street parking on select streets aimed at business employees and customers. This would be purchased electronically via mobile app, browser, or phone. (This approach was recommended in 2020 by Dixon Resources Unlimited for Alameda Point parking planning.) The City would need more enforcement personnel to enforce these time limits and permits. A residential parking permit zone in this area may be inconsistent with the Alameda Point TDM Plan, which states that no public parking should be free, and per state law, residential parking permits function at cost-recovery-only prices. As Alameda Point is developed, the City should introduce hourly paid parking as well.
If the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal parking price reaches beyond $7/day (i.e., if parking occupancy is over 90% for four quarters), the City should begin exploring whether an overflow parking lot is needed.
This would require marked, accessible walking paths as well as pay stations.
Alameda Ferry Terminal Parking Pricing Strategy, August 2024, p. 17
Appendix I: Mode of Access to Ferry Terminals
WETA’s On-Board Passenger survey asked riders how they arrived at the ferry terminals. These counts are for all weekday trips, including evening and midday. Carpool was self-defined in the survey, so can mean 2 or more people in a vehicle.
Table 8: Mode of Access to Ferry Terminals, WETA 2022 Passenger Survey Preliminary Findings Mode of Access
Seaplane
Lagoon
Harbor
Bay
Main
Street
Drive alone 51% 45% 41%
Bike 25% 17% 13%
Walk 9% 23% 7%
Drop Off/Pick Up 6% 5% 9%
Carpool 6% 4% 26%
Public transit 1% 2% 0%
Shuttle 1% 1% 0%
Rideshare 1% 0% 2%
Other 1% 1% 0%
Write in 1% 1% 0%
Taxi 0% 0% 0%
Figure 6: Mode of Access to Ferry Terminals, WETA 2017 Passenger Survey