San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority
San Francisco, CA · NTD ID 90225 · 2024 report year
San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority carries 2.4 million passenger trips a year on ferryboat service — making it the 187th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in San Francisco, CA.
It spends $60.3 million a year running that service, or $25.26 per trip. Its ferryboat service, the largest of its modes, costs $25.26 per rider — 30% above the $19.42 median for the 39 US agencies reporting ferryboat.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 22% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 18% on 2023. Fares cover 21% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferryboat#6 of 39 nationally | 2,388,379 | $60.3 million | $25.26 | +30% | 21% | 11 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,388,379 | $60.3 million | $25.26 |
| 2023 | 2,024,646 | $56.9 million | $28.12 |
| 2022 | 1,412,543 | $49.8 million | $35.27 |
| 2021 | 264,498 | $35.9 million | $135.82 |
| 2020 | 2,298,857 | $46.7 million | $20.30 |
| 2019 | 3,048,876 | $48.1 million | $15.76 |
| 2018 | 2,844,400 | $42.8 million | $15.05 |
| 2017 | 2,609,411 | $38.4 million | $14.72 |
| 2016 | 2,479,944 | $33.8 million | $13.63 |
| 2015 | 2,091,276 | $33.8 million | $16.16 |
Where San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority ranks
- Highest-Ridership Ferry Systems #6 of 39
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These are the headline figures. Ask NTD answers the rest in plain English — by mode, by year, against any other agency.
Ask NTD about San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.