Full speed ahead? Berkeley ferry plan gets a boost
A new state process could shave years off potential CEQA litigation.
California is helping clear the way for Berkeley to rebuild its municipal pier and launch electric ferry service.
Gov. Gavin Newsom "cut red tape to fast-track a new pier in Berkeley for a zero-emission ferry connecting Berkeley, San Francisco, and Larkspur."
Berkeley's ferry terminal would be the first new electric ferry terminal on San Francisco Bay, city staff said Friday, in contrast to other terminals that are being retrofitted.
On Wednesday, the governor's office announced that Berkeley's zero-emissions ferry project had been selected for "judicial streamlining," a new state process that aims to limit CEQA challenges to 270 days compared to the three to five years they otherwise take.
The state approached Berkeley and encouraged staff to apply for judicial streamlining last year.
"This removes a lot of uncertainty from the project," said Liza McNulty, who is overseeing the pier-ferry project for the city.
Berkeley's ferry project is only the second to receive this status since Senate Bill 149 was approved in 2023.
"At full buildout, the project is projected to remove roughly 19,000 vehicle miles per day from Bay Area roads," the governor's office said in a statement this week.
In addition to addressing any required CEQA mitigations, the city also had to agree to stepped-up notification requirements, city staff said Friday.
Berkeley will also have to publish the administrative record proactively and keep it updated.
Many of the project documents are available on the city website.
If the city is able to secure all the funding and there is no lawsuit, construction could start by 2028, the city said.
The work is expected to take two full summers to complete and be done in phases as money becomes available.
The complete project is now estimated to cost $106 million.
Berkeley has already lined up an array of funding sources and hopes to use transportation grants rather than municipal dollars for the bulk of the work.
This week, the City Council gave staff the green light to pursue a $25 million grant to build "portions of the landside elements of the Berkeley Water Transportation Pier-Ferry Project."
The city must complete the project's environmental review process before pursuing much of the funding.
The project includes:
- a new public pier and new ferry landing dock with electric vehicle chargers
- a new plaza, new Bay Trail segments, rebuilt sections of University Avenue and Seawall Drive
- a Class IV cycle track, sidewalks, crossings and a rebuilt parking lot
- picnic areas, restrooms, benches, drinking fountains, a washdown area and other public amenities
The city will continue to provide updates on the project throughout the year. Council votes on the environmental impact report and use permit are expected in the winter.
Learn more on the city website for Berkeley's pier and ferry project.
