
What Happens When the Bay Area’s Beloved Ferries Break Down?
From Bay Curious by KQED
June 11, 2026 · 15 min
About this episode
This episode explores what happens when ferries in the Bay Area break down and the processes involved in their repair.
The San Francisco Bay Area has two major public ferry agencies serving the north and east bay. Together, they carried 4 million people last year. Bay Curious listener Kristen Breck often sees the ferries as they crisscross the bay waters and she wondered, what happens if one breaks down? Where do they go to be repaired? And who does that work? Today, we take you behind the scenes and show what it takes to keep the ferry system running smoothly. Additional Resources: Include a link to the web post for this very episode Read the transcript for this episode Become a KQED member! Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Hosts: Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Olivia Allen-Price
Topics covered
- ferries
- public transportation
- Bay Area
- repair
- infrastructure
- transportation systems
Keywords
- Bay Area ferries
- ferry breakdown
- public ferry agencies
- transportation repair
- KQED
- Adhiti Bandlamudi
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: KQED
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