Too Early to Gauge Google Ferry Service from Alameda

A Google spokesperson says it’s too early to provide any ridership figures or otherwise gauge the impact of a trial private ferry service from the Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal to Redwood City that began yesterday.

The Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) announced the trial over the weekend; it will run through to this Friday, February 7th.

Google is paying $275 per docking to use the WETA terminals, and Google has provided separate, off-site parking and a shuttle service for its employees.

WETA says that normal ferry service and parking for regular riders will not be affected.

A Google spokesperson told Action Alameda News, “we certainly don’t want to cause any inconvenience to Bay Area residents and we’re trying alternative ways to get Googlers to work.”

The web search giant has come under fire in San Francisco in recent months for its shuttle buses that pick up residents for the commute to its Mountain View headquarters.