Berkeley Pier

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A portion of the Berkeley Pier as viewed from the shoreline

Fishing and crabbing are popular activities on the pier

View from the deck of the pier westward

The barrier at the end of the pier. The old defunct pier section is visible through the barrier.

The Berkeley Pier is a pier in Berkeley, California. When constructed, the pier extended 3.5 miles (5.6 km) into San Francisco Bay from the end of University Avenue. Due to extensive filling of the bay and the creation of the Berkeley Marina, it presently extends only 2.5 miles (4.1 km). Currently, only the first 3000 ft (0.9 km) are maintained and open to the public.

1 History
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

In the mid-1800s, two private wharfs were built along the Berkeley waterfront. One was located at the foot of Addison Street one block south of University Avenue and served the Standard Soap Company, a major regional soap-making factory. The other, the Jacobs and Heywood Wharf, was located several blocks north of University Avenue at the foot of Delaware Street, used as a general freight transshipment point.

In 1907, the City of Berkeley built a municipal pier at the foot of University Avenue. This pier was intended for a commuter ferry which never materialized, and the pier was instead used mainly for freight. In 1926, this pier was replaced by the Berkeley Pier to provide a deep water landing for an auto ferry to the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco. Between 1926 and 1937, it served as an integral part of US Highway 40. A two lane road ran the entire length to a ferry dock at the end of the pier. The ferry line shut down in 1939 approximately two years after the Bay Bridge opened. The portion of the pier closest to shore was converted to recreational use, mainly fishing^[1]. The remaining portion of the pier was left to decay, and is still visible, but inaccessible due to a barrier at the end of the current pier. In 2007, proposals were considered to start a new ferry service using a terminal near the pier. ^[2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Pier-fishing Berkeley pier
^ San Francisco Chronicle "BERKELEY / Public hearing on new ferry terminals" 5 3 2007" recovered through EBBSCO's Australia New Zealand Reference Centre"