$343 a trip: San Francisco ferry costs led nation despite slashed service. Can they stay afloat?

When Alexis Nelson hitches a ride to work on a 450-passenger boat heading from San Francisco to Marin County, she is arguably getting the best deal in Bay Area travel: Nearly private ocean views for $8.50. But behind that ticket price are millions of dollars in Golden Gate Bridge tolls and massive sums of federal pandemic relief money that keep the ferry afloat. “Earlier in the year it would literally be me and one other person on the 8 a.m. ferry to Larkspur,” said Nelson as she read a book on her 30-minute commute. “It’s pretty nice.” San Francisco ferries are one of the Bay Area’s iconic pu...