Oakland-Alameda Water Shuttle service suspended on its 1st day

OAKLAND, Calif. - Service for the Oakland-Alameda Water Shuttle was suspended on the day it launched. Officials from San Francisco Bay Ferry on Wednesday said the disruption was due to a mechanical issue on the vessel. 

The transit agency posted on social media at around 6 p.m. that the vessel would be out of service for the remainder of the evening and they would provide updates on whether the vessel would run on Thursday as soon as possible. 

Thursday morning the agency announced that the shuttle has been repaired but is awaiting a Coast Guard inspection before it can begin running again. 

Ridders were looking forward to a new way to get back and forth across the estuary. The new shuttle launched Wednesday morning with service beginning this week. 

The ferry named "Woodstock" is a free form of transportation. 

Sercice is scheduled to run every Wednesday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. -7 p.m. 

It's part of a partnership between the city of Alameda, SF Bay Ferry and the Port of Oakland. It’s a two-year pilot program.

The goal is to provide commuters and visitors with another option to take public transit and avoid driving through the Posey Tube. That underwater tunnel between Oakland and Alameda can get very congested.

The exact schedule varies between weekdays and weekends. On Wednesday it will leave Jack London Square at the top of the hours.

It will take passengers to Bohol Circle Immigrant Park in Alameda, at the foot of 5th Street near Alameda Landing. It takes just 15 minutes to get from one side of the estuary to another, and riders are welcome to bring bicycles. 

The Alameda Fire Department joined to salute the new ferry on Wednesday morning. 

See the full schedule below or visit the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle website.