The Gilman Street Project

Still in the early planning stages, the Gilman Street project is a promising transit village-type mixed use development along the north Berkeley waterfront. The concept calls for a unique ferry terminal designed to serve the needs of residents in Berkeley, Albany, and El Cerrito, as well as provide easy access from major commuter arteries.

Located at the foot of Gilman street, the project has several advantages as a comprehensive site for a new ferry terminal:

The site allows for direct, easy-on-easy-off access for autos from the the confluence of the nearby, heavily trafficked interstates (I-80 and I-580).

The site is ideally situated to provide excellent connecting transit via AC Transit buses from Berkeley and neighboring Albany.

The site has good access for bicyclists via designated bike paths from the Frontage Road, University Avenue, and Aquatic Park.

The site provides a much-need alternative means to key destinations such as Fourth Street shops and also could serve as an alternative means to the Golden Gate Fields Race Track.

The site is currently under-utilized as an over-flow parking lot for the Ladbrook-Golden Gate Fields Race Track, thus does not displace greenbelt or existing housing.

The site would require a minimum amount of dredging.

The site can accommodate appropriate parking.

The ferry terminal would be a key destination for a comprehensive fleet of fast ferries. The terminal would be served by smaller, more agile, 140-passenger boats which would provide multi-city transit and would be more able to respond more economically to changes in commuter passenger load. The terminal could also be served by water taxis for on-demand, shorter-route transportation.

Criteria for Success

In considering this new ferry terminal project, Friends of the Berkeley Ferry has developed the following success criteria for this project (or any successful ferry terminal project in Berkeley):

The ferry must be cost-competitive with other forms of transit, including BART and buses.

The ferry must be well integrated with connecting transit, such as AC Transit.

The ferry must be reliable, efficient, and well run.

The ferry must go to the destinations people demand.

The ferry should have arrivals and departures which are convenient and easy for passengers.

The ferry terminal must be located in a convenient, easy and safe location.

The ferry terminal should blend into the urban surroundings is an evironomentally conscious way.

The ferry terminal should provide convenient access to pedestrians and bicyclists.