New Security Procedures In Effect July 1

Effective July 1, the Alameda/Oakland Ferry Service will operate under new security procedures required by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). These requirements are mandated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 ("MARSEC") and are intended in part to reduce the threat of terrorism on passenger ferry vessels and public ferry terminals. Most of the time, these procedures will have minimal impact on your commute. However, you may notice the following:

New Terminal Signs: MARSEC requires that every terminal have signs informing the public of the current level of risk to the national marine transportation system. There are three MARSEC threat levels: Level 1 is the lowest and Level 3 is the highest. The MARSEC threat level will dictate which security precautions are currently in effect.

Ferry Schedule: It is not clear if these new security measures will impact our schedule. However, as security procedures are in effect at all ferry landings, it is likely that some delays will result. To minimize delays, we ask that every commuter be onboard the ferry prior to the published departure time. Captains will be directed to depart the dock on time and not wait for customers who are still in the parking lot or on the ramp at scheduled time of departure. The more often the boat departs on time, the less these new precautions will result in cumulative delays. If significant and persistent delays occur, we will modify published schedules to reflect these new realities.

The City of Alameda and Blue and Gold Fleet continue to work with the USCG to modify security procedures as needed to promote public safety while minimizing delays or other service impacts. If you have comments or questions about MARSEC procedures or any other ferry service matter, please contact Andy Anderson at (510) 749-5837 or at www.panderso@ci.alameda.ca.us. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Ernest Sanchez
Ferry Manager