Berkeley Pier with Ferry Access Project

Type: Other Infrastructure

Status: Design

PROJECT LOCATION

Berkeley Waterfront

WHAT'S HAPPENING

The City of Berkeley has prepared a Draft Parking Management Implementation Plan and is in the process of conducting public outreach to gather feedback on this Draft Plan. Written feedback can be submitted to the Project Manager at LMcNulty@berkeleyca.gov.

Berkeley Water Transportation Pier Ferry Project Draft Parking Management Implementation Plan

The City will host an online community meeting on Wednesday, June 3, at 7:00 pm to provide an overview of the Implementation Plan and gather feedback.

June 3 Community Meeting Zoom Link

Draft Environmental Impact Report

Public review of the Draft Environmental Impact Report concluded on April 28, 2026. The Draft EIR addresses the potential physical environmental effects of the project for each of the environmental topics included in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Appendix G.

Draft Environmental Impact Report materials are provided below.

The Administrative Record for this project is available to view online. The Draft EIR incorporates by reference the Final Program Environmental Impact Report for the Expansion of Ferry Transit Service in the San Francisco Bay Area (WETA Program EIR, 2003).

Public Engagement Process

The project was initially presented at the City Council Work Session on February 16, 2021, followed by a WETA Board of Directors meeting on March 4, 2021.

The Pier and Ferry Feasibility Study gathered extensive community feedback through four focus groups in early January 2021 and three large community workshops on January 21, August 10, and October 27, 2021. An online questionnaire for the project was conducted from March 22 to June 6, 2021.

The community feedback was used to develop a preferred concept for the project. The preferred concept was presented to the City Council in December 2021 and the WETA Board in April 2022.

Reports, presentation slides, and other documents related to the public engagement process can be found below under "Project History."

The project is currently in the Design/Environmental phase. The City presented project updates to City Council members, the WETA Board, and to over a dozen local community groups as part of the public engagement process of this phase. Additional public outreach and public meetings will occur throughout this phase of the project.

On March 12, 2025, the City provided a detailed update on parking and transportation demand management to the Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Commission. On May 5, 2025, the City hosted an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Scoping meeting that invited the public provide feedback on the scope of the environmental review.

The Draft EIR was published on February 27, 2026. The public review period will be open for 60 days, from February 27 to April 28, 2026. The Draft EIR documents can be found in the section above.

Pier-Ferry Public Outreach Summary

Consultant Team

COWI – Prime Design Consultant, Structural, Coastal
NCE – Civil Engineer
CDM Smith – Civil Engineer
Robin Chiang – Architecture
ENGEO – Geotechnical
YEI – Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Engineer
Aurora – Electrification (waterside)
Arup – Electrification (landside)
ETrac – Topographic and Hydrographic Surveys
Pacific EcoRisk – Sediment Sampling and Dredge Disposal
Herbert – Naval Architecture
BK Cooper – Cost Estimating
Rincon – Prime Environmental Consultant, CEQA, Permitting
Kittleson – Parking and Transportation
WRA – Regulatory Permitting, Biological Resources
Brad McCrea – BCDC Permitting

Project History

Design & Environmental Phase (In Progress)

The project is currently in the Design/Environmental phase. The City is collaborating with WETA on the detailed design, environmental analysis, and permitting for the project.

In 2023, the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the California State Coastal Conservancy awarded the City grant funding to complete the Design/Environmental phase of the project. In 2024, the City and WETA amended the MOU to cover the current Design/Environmental phase. WETA has also allocated funds for this phase. This work is underway and is expected to be completed in 2027.

The City presented project updates to City Council members, the WETA Board, and to over a dozen local community groups as part of the public engagement process of this phase.

Documents:

Feasibility Phase (Complete)

The City has completed the Pier and Ferry Feasibility Study, which evaluated the feasibility of rebuilding the Berkeley Municipal Pier as a dual-purpose pier that provides recreational access and an electric ferry service. The study was funded by the City of Berkeley through Measure T1 and by the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA).

The study included over a year of public process that resulted in a preferred project concept, which was presented to the Berkeley City Council in December 2021 and the WETA Board in April 2022.

The community feedback was used to develop a preferred concept for the project. The preferred concept was presented to the City Council in December 2021 and the WETA Board in April 2022.

Reports, presentation slides, and other documents related to the public engagement process can be found below.

Documents:

Pier Closure and Background Information

The Berkeley Municipal Pier was closed in July 2015 due to structural problems on the underside of the concrete decking and pilings. In 2017, the City retained structural engineering firm GHD to assess the problem and develop a range of potential solutions and cost estimates.

In 2018, WETA staff initiated discussions with City staff about the possibility of a new ferry service at the Berkeley Waterfront. In 2019, WETA and the City Council authorized a Memorandum of Understanding Agreement (MOU) to jointly fund a planning study on the feasibility of rebuilding the Berkeley Pier for ferry service and recreational access.

Documents: