San Francisco Bay Ferry Data Portal FAQ
What is this data portal for?
This portal provides open ridership metrics for San Francisco Bay Ferry so riders, researchers, and partner agencies can understand how service is performing over time.
How often is the ridership data updated?
Ridership is published on a regular schedule after internal quality checks are complete. New data may appear after reporting and validation are finalized.
What does "boardings" mean?
A boarding is one passenger getting on a vessel. If a rider takes two one-way trips in a day, that counts as two boardings.
What is the definition of each field in the dataset?
The fields in the dataset are as follows:
| Column | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Date (YYYY-MM-DD) | 2026-01-02 | The service date that the ridership data applies to. Each row summarizes activity for one route on one calendar day. |
| Day of Week | Text | Monday | The actual day of the week for the service date. This does not reflect the type of service operated (such as a holiday with weekend service). |
| Route | Text | Vallejo | The route for the ferry service shown in the row. |
| Trips Operated | Integer | 100 | The number of one-way trips that were actually operated on that route on that date. |
| Boardings | Integer | 1794 | The total number of passenger boardings recorded on that route on that date. A boarding represents one passenger getting on a vessel. |
| Bike Boardings | Integer | 49 | The total number of bicycles brought on board by passengers on that route on that date. A bike boarding represents one bike getting on a vessel. |
| Passenger Miles | Integer | 50236 | The total passenger miles traveled on that route on that date. This is calculated as the sum of the distance traveled by all passengers. |
Why can numbers change after they are first posted?
Values can be revised to correct data quality issues, incorporate late records, or reflect route and schedule adjustments identified during review.
Why is there data for routes which are no longer in service?
The data portal includes all routes that were in service at any point since Jan 1, 2018. This includes routes that are no longer in service, as well as routes that are currently in service. Some out of service routes include "Oyster Point Limited", "Redwood City Ballpark" and "Pier 41 Short Hop".
Can I use this data for analysis, dashboards, or research?
Yes. The portal is intended for public use. We recommend citing San Francisco Bay Ferry as the source and including the date the data was downloaded.
How is this data licensed?
All data is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). It allows broad reuse, including commercial use, as long as users provide attribution to San Francisco Bay Ferry.
What should I keep in mind when comparing ridership trends?
Compare similar periods and account for seasonality, holidays, special events, weather, and service changes, which can all affect ridership totals.
Does this dataset include personally identifiable information?
No. The dataset is aggregated and does not publish rider-level personal information.
Who can I contact with a question or to report a data issue?
If you notice a potential issue or need clarification, contact customerservice@sanfranciscobayferry.com.