“The Voice of the Waterfront” May 2019 Vol.20, No.5 Milestone for Blue & Gold New Proposal Threatens Bay Forty Years on Bay Waterways Clean Water Rules in Jeopardy Good News on RM3 Funds Ferry Questions Answered Ruling May Allow Transit Cash Overnight Parking Rules Explained COMPLETE FERRY SCHEDULES FOR ALL SF LINES 25YEARS AND RIDING STRONG BAY AREA BIKE TO WORK DAY 25TH ANNIVERSARY - MAY 9, 2019 A Quarter-Century in the Making! Celebrate 25 years of biking to work by joining thousands of your neighbors on May 9th for the 25th Anniversary of Bay Area Bike to Work Day! Brush up on your biking know-how and find an energizer station with snacks and giveaways nearby at bayareabiketowork.com. Let’s roll! Great food to celebrate life in the City! Enjoy a ten minute walk from the Ferry Building or a short hop on the F-Line Crab House at Pier 39 Voted “Best Crab in San Francisco” Sizzling Skillet-roasted Mussels, Shrimp & Crab Romantic Cozy Fireplace Stunning Golden Gate Bridge View Open Daily 11:30 am - 10 pm 2nd Floor, West Side of Pier 39 Validated Parking crabhouse39.com 415.434.2722 Franciscan Crab Restaurant Open Daily 11:30 am - 11 pm Pier 43 1/2 Validated Parking Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab Breathtaking Views 415.362.7733 Bay Side of Historic Fisherman’s Wharf franciscancrabrestaurant.com THE ORIGINAL SAN FRANCISCO BAY CRUISE PIER 43 1/2 FISHERMAN’S WHARF REDANDWHITE.COM (415) 673-2900 NIGHT TOUR Book Your Tour Today! WWW.BIGBUS.COM www.baycrossings.com May 2019 3 columns features 07 WHO’S AT THE HELM? 12 COVER STORY Alvin Haymon Blue & Gold Fleet 22 by Matt Larson Celebrates Forty Years of Moving People on the Bay by Joel Williams guides 17 BAYKEEPER New Federal Proposal 14 GREEN PAGES 20 BAY AREA FERRY SCHEDULES Threatens the Bay Agencies Propose Solutions Be on time for last call by Sejal Choksi-Chugh for San Luis Reservoir AROUND THE BAY by Bill Picture 22 To see, be, do, know 19 CULTURAL CURRENTS Late Spring Diversions news Abound in the Bay Area ON OUR COVER by Paul Duclos 06 WATERFRONT NEWS Good News Surfaces at the Port of Oakland by Patrick Burnson May 2019 Volume 20, Number 5 FERRY NEWS Bobby Winston, Proprietor 08 Joel Williams, Publisher Patrick Runkle, Editor Positive Ruling for RM3 Funds; Treasure Island Ferry ADVERTISING & MARKETING Joel Williams, Advertising & Marketing Director Situation Still Murky GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION by Dan Rosenheim Francisco Arreola, Designer / Web Producer ART DIRECTION Francisco Arreola; Patrick Runkle; FERRY Q&A Joel Williams 11 What Are the Overnight COLUMNISTS Paul Duclos; Patrick Burnson; Parking Policies? Sejal Choksi-Chugh; Matt Larson; WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS This month, Blue & Gold Fleet is celebrating 40 remarkable years Bill Picture; Joel Williams; FERRY SHORT TAKES of ferry and water excursion services on San Francisco Bay. The Dan Rosenheim 11 Modest Fare Increase; company was founded by Roger Murphy and developer Warren ACCOUNTING Cindy Henderson Berkeley Ferry Discussion Simmons at the same time as PIER 39 launched operations in 1979. The company started by providing pleasure cruises from Advertising Inquiries: (707) 556-3323, [email protected] PIER 39’s West Marina with a passenger vessel. Today, in addition Ospreys Make New Bay Crossings SF Ferry Building Store 16 to providing numerous excursion services, Blue & Gold operates (415) 362-0717 SF Bay Ferry’s fleet of 14 commuter ferryboats. Clipper customer service center Attraction for Richmond (877) 878-8883 Photo by Joel Williams For Transit Information – Dial 511 Ferry Commuters Bay Crossings Ferry Building, #22 Corrections & Letters San Francisco, CA 94111 Sip, Stroll and Celebrate at www.baycrossings.com 18 We appreciate the opportunity to publish our readers’ comments, letters or A Division of Nematode Media, LLC Jack London Square in May requests for corrections, which can be sent to [email protected]. 4 May 2019 www.baycrossings.com THE EMBARCADERO @ BEACH STREET | 415.981.PIER | PIER39.COM BAY CRUISES ERRY SERVICE WHERE THE CITY MEETS THE BAY to Play BAY CRUISE ADVENTURE 60-minute cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz Island ESCAPE FROM THE ROCK 90-minute cruise around the bay and Alcatraz that reveals the untold stories of life on The Rock MAY 17 SPRING WINE POUR Tickets & details at pier39.com FREE AUDIO TOUR AVAILABLE IN NINE LANGUAGES NOW – JUNE 30 BRING YOUR SMARTPHONE, TABLET OR OTHER WI-FI ENABLED DEVICE ENGLISH | DEUTSCH | ESPAOL FRANAIS ITALIANO | 日本 | | 中国大陆 | KIDS EAT & PLAY FREE Details at pier39.com/localadvantage GET YOUR TICKETS AT THE PIER 39 BOX OFFICE AND BLUEANDGOLDFLEET.COM Events are weather permitting and subject to change without notice. www.baycrossings.com May 2019 5 WORKING WATERFRONT NEWS Two Good News Stories Surface in Oakland BY PATRICK BURNSON is again being threatened by misguided politicians who feel that U.S.-flag shipping is a vestige of the past that s this column has recently should be scrapped. documented, the ocean Countering that sentiment is Steinar carrier industry remains in Nerbovik, Philly Shipyard president and Photo courtesy of Matson the throes of a seemingly CEO, who said that the construction of Oakland-based Matson recently christened the Kaimana Hila, the second of two Aloha class unending cycle of rate the Kaimana Hila, and its earlier sister containerships. These ships represent the largest vessels to have been built in the United States. erosion, vacant sailings and dysfunctional ship, has provided good skilled work for Arelationships with shippers and other nearly 1,500 people at Philly Shipyard stakeholders. over the last three years. debt while trying to adhere to stringent to 587,356 during the same period in But there have been exceptions “We are immensely proud to new energy standards soon to be 2018. That represents a 4.2 percent to this sorry state of affairs, with one provide another quality and safe vessel imposed by the International Maritime increase. outstanding example here in the Bay that Matson can be proud of for years to Organization. Port spokespeople said that there Area. Rising above the chaos is Oakland- come,” Nerbovik said. Furthermore, with the International has been “some concern” in the shipping based Matson, a leading U.S.-flag Weighing in at over 51,400 metric Longshore and Warehouse Union industry that a recent import surge carrier in the Pacific, which recently tons, the 850-foot long and 3,600 resisting automation at other terminals, has cooled. This thrust was caused by christened the second of two Aloha class twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) Matson may enjoy a shippers last year trying containerships, which are the largest capacity Kaimana Hila and Daniel K. favored status with to get ahead of possible vessels ever to have been built in the Inouye are also Matson’s fastest vessels, dockworkers thanks to “We are still new tariffs affecting U.S.- United States. with a top speed of nearly 24 knots, the fact that it owns a 35 China trade. The new vessel, named Kaimana helping ensure on-time deliveries in percent interest in SSA seeing a strong “Though the import Hila, is the sister ship to Daniel K. Hawaii from Matson’s three West Coast Terminals, the leading consumer demand rally has calmed down, Inouye, which was christened in June terminals in Seattle, Oakland and Long U.S. West Coast terminal in Northern we are still seeing and went into service in November Beach. operator. California and a strong consumer 2018. “Kaimana Hila” is a Hawaiian In addition, both Aloha class vessels Daniel Smith, a prin- demand in Northern transliteration of “Diamond Head,” the incorporate the latest environmentally cipal of the Tioga Group, western Nevada,” California and Nevada,” name of Hawaii’s iconic landmark crater friendly technology, including dual- further noted that Mat- — Port of Oakland said Port of Oakland near Waikiki Beach. fuel engines that can be adapted to use son has not needed au- Maritime Director Maritime Director John The two ships were built for liquefied natural gas (LNG), double-hull tomation to date and Driscoll. “The Bay Area’s Honolulu-based Matson by Philly fuel tanks, fresh-water ballast systems probably doesn’t for the John Driscoll. strong consumer-based Shipyard, Inc. (PSI), the wholly-owned and a more fuel-efficient hull design. near future, as it provides economy has helped the U.S. subsidiary of Philly Shipyard ASA, This comes at a time when ocean terminal and stevedoring Port of Oakland absorb and comes at a time when the Jones Act carriers in other trade lanes are mired in services to carriers at seven key facilities. the impact of the weakening rally better “Their terminals operations are than other ports.” simpler and self-contained,” he said, Last month, Oakland handled “and do not have truck dwell time issues 213,972 TEUs, compared to 193,341 that others must face.” in March 2018. That represents at 10.7 percent increase. Loaded exports also Port of Oakland Reports Positive grew 7.6 percent last month compared First Quarter to March 2018. The port’s communications director, The Port of Oakland today reported a Mike Zampa, said that while he is positive first quarter in its cargo volume. encouraged to see a return to growth last Through the end of March 2019, the month, all bets are off for now. port handled 612,151 TEUs, compared Patrick Burnson is the executive editor of Logistics Management. www.logisticsmgmt.com 6 May 2019 www.baycrossings.com WHO’S AT THE HELM? Alvin Haymon BY MATT LARSON time,” Haymon explained. These factors comes to transportation, especially come into play for landing— Haymon’s covered all the or, as some would say, “parking”—the bases.