SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- While reports swirl of BART and Muni struggling to win back pre-pandemic levels of ridership, at least one Bay Area transit agency saw growth last year. On Monday, San Francisco Bay Ferry announced it has seen a 16% ridership gain in 2024. During the course of the year, the ferry service shuttled some 2.6 million passengers across the Bay. On average, the ferry saw a daily ridership of 7,148 passengers. That represents a recovery to 90% of pre-pandemic levels, according to a news release from the ferry, marking one of the highest recovery rates for any transit operator in the region. Ridership apparently picked up in the latter half of the year with ridership spiking to 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the last six months. Bay Area taqueria chain closes after 15 years “We continue to see strong growth in ferry ridership thanks to our strategic decisions to adopt competitive fares and enhanced schedules in addition to the unique benefits of water transit,” said Jim Wunderman, Chair of the SF Bay Ferry Board of Directors. “We’re encouraged by the growth and expect to continue the upswing in 2025.” Breaking it down by the numbers, here's where the ferry saw its ridership increase: Peak morning commute ridership grew 14% compared to 2023 Weekend ridership grew 12% and is now at 115% of 2019 levels All transbay routes saw at least 10% year-over-year ridership growth The Richmond and Harbor Bay routes saw 20% annual growth The service also launched three pilot routes in 2024: The Redwood City Ballpark Pilot, the Sea Change Hydrogen Fuel Cell Demonstration Project, and the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle. Together, the three pilot programs carried 55,000 passengers last year.