Alameda's Weekday Ferry Commute Now Runs Through Seaplane Lagoon

Since Monday, November 2, no weekday boat between Main Street Alameda and Downtown San Francisco has stopped at the Main Street terminal. SF Bay Ferry has discontinued that weekday service. It now sends Monday-through-Friday riders between Alameda and Downtown SF to the Alameda Seaplane and Harbor Bay routes, and both routes picked up extra trips. Weekday Alameda Short Hop service between Main Street and Oakland is also paused for the whole month and returns Tuesday, December 1.

The new schedule moves the island's weekday ferry commute from the East End to the West End. Riders are leaving a terminal whose parking the city calls lightly used for one at Alameda Point that is busy enough to charge for parking three days a week.

What Main Street keeps, and what it lost

Weekend service hasn't changed. The Alameda Post reported in September that Main Street would still get full service on Saturdays and Sundays. It would also keep some weekday trips on the South San Francisco route, plus special event boats to Oracle Park and Chase Center. A Giants game or a Warriors night can still start at 2990 Main Street. A regular Tuesday commute into the Financial District now can't.

In the same Alameda Post story, the ferry system described the change as a trade-off. Dropping the weekday Main Street stops paid for the Seaplane and Harbor Bay additions. That included a new 5 p.m. eastbound Seaplane trip meant to ease crowding on the 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. boats. The official schedule page calls the Main Street weekday change "discontinued." It calls only the Short Hop pause temporary.

Three terminals, three very different parking lots

Before anyone plans a new route, it helps to see the three terminals side by side. The City of Alameda's ferry terminal parking page lists them this way:

The paid-parking line shows the change most clearly. The city says Seaplane and Harbor Bay charge on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays "to open up spaces on these busy days and to offset security costs." Main Street, by the city's own description, has had so few cars that paid parking isn't planned there. Weekday riders who used to park free at Main Street are now aimed at the two lots the city already manages for crowding. Midweek, that costs $3 a day, plus a $0.35 transaction fee if you pay by app or text. Mondays and Fridays are free at both lots.

Harbor Bay has one more thing to know. The streets around it are in a preferential parking permit zone, with time limits for cars without permits. Parking on the street there is not a dependable backup for a full workday.

Getting to the West End without a car

Seaplane Lagoon sits at the western edge of the island, and the bus doesn't stop at the dock. The city's Getting Around Alameda page lists AC Transit Line 96 stopping at West Atlantic Avenue and Orion Street, about 0.4 miles from the terminal. At Harbor Bay, Line 31 stops at the terminal and is free with a Clipper transfer to the ferry. Seaplane Lagoon and Harbor Bay each have 24 BikeLink lockers.

A ride-hail option helps too. In its September 2026 board materials, the Water Emergency Transportation Authority reported a $2.85 discount on Uber trips to Seaplane, running through the end of 2026. Line 96, the BikeLink lockers and the 400-space lot are the same ways to reach Seaplane that riders had before November 2.

The trips Seaplane gained

Seaplane's new weekday schedule has a wider span than before. It starts earlier in the morning, adds a boat in the busiest evening hour, and runs a little later at night. From the official schedule change page, effective November 2:

1. A new 6:00 a.m. westbound departure to San Francisco. In September, the Alameda Post reported that the ferry system was considering swapping in this trip for the 5:55 a.m. Oakland trip, which used to stop at Main Street.
2. A new 5:00 p.m. eastbound trip home from San Francisco, between the crowded 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. boats.
3. New westbound departures at 5:25 p.m. and 7:50 p.m.; the 8:25 p.m. westbound trip is gone.
4. A new 7:15 p.m. eastbound trip replaces the 7:00 p.m. eastbound trip. The 10:30 p.m. eastbound now leaves at 10:35 p.m.
5. Midday changes: the noon westbound now leaves at 11:50 a.m., and the 11:35 a.m. eastbound leaves at 11:25 a.m. The 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. westbound trips now leave at 2:55 p.m. and 3:50 p.m., and the 3:30 p.m. eastbound now leaves at 3:25 p.m.

Harbor Bay gained a new 1:05 p.m. westbound trip and new eastbound trips at 12:30 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. Some trip times in local coverage differ slightly from the official schedule, so go by the SF Bay Ferry page when you're timing a run to the dock.

Crossing to Jack London Square this month

The November Short Hop pause hits a different trip, the one across the Estuary. SF Bay Ferry says the weekday Short Hop between Oakland and Main Street is suspended from November 1 through November 30 because of trip segment suspensions on the South San Francisco route. On weekends, the Short Hop still runs eastbound only, from Main Street to Oakland.

For the rest of the month, the main weekday option on the water is the free Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle. It leaves from the public dock in Bohol Circle Immigrant Park, at Fifth Street near Target, and lands at the Jack London Square public dock at the foot of Broadway. The crossing takes about seven minutes. It runs Tuesday through Sunday, with no Monday service. From Tuesday to Thursday, the first boat leaves Alameda at 7:20 a.m., and the last boat from Jack London Square leaves at 7:41 p.m. On Fridays, the last Oakland departure is 9:25 p.m. The City of Alameda says the shuttle's second pilot phase runs from July 2026 through June 2028.

Mondays have no shuttle. In September, the ferry system pointed Monday riders to the South San Francisco route trips or to AC Transit. November's Short Hop pause comes from suspensions on that same South San Francisco route, so check the current schedule before counting on a Monday boat.

What the West End looks like for the new commute

People who start using Seaplane this month will find the area around Alameda Point has changed this fall. Admiral Maltings, at 651A West Tower Ave. in Spirits Alley, closed on October 2, and The Rake closed on October 18, as The Mercury News reported. The Alameda Post reported that the malt house supplied brewers well beyond the Point. Alameda Brewing said the closure would make it rethink the recipe for its Let It Lager.

The Point's calendar is busy this weekend. The 46th Alameda Holiday Boutique runs Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, at the Albert H. DeWitt Officer's Club, 641 West Redline Ave. The volunteer organizers say vendor spots are full. On weekdays, the Seaplane Lagoon Promenade next to the terminal is also where commuters will find the nearest public restrooms.

Shopping on the island is also linked to a city promotion through the end of the year. The City of Alameda's "Alameda All Wrapped Up" campaign runs November 1 through December 31. Shoppers can submit receipts from participating local businesses for prize drawings. Weekday Short Hop service returns on Tuesday, December 1. Main Street's weekday boats to San Francisco are not scheduled to return.

When we talk with clients, how they get to work on weekdays often matters as much as the house itself. That's especially true on an island where the ferry terminals sit at opposite ends. If the new schedule has you rethinking how your part of Alameda connects to San Francisco or Oakland, East Bay Digs is glad to walk through it with you. Get a free neighborhood consultation.