San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building was without power for three hours Wednesday after another Pacific Gas & Electric outage disrupted the city’s waterfront, adding to a growing series of blackouts frustrating Bay Area residents.
The unplanned outage began at 6:42 a.m. and affected approximately 455 customers before service was restored at 9:30 a.m., PG&E said.
The disruption struck several businesses during the morning rush, including Blue Bottle and Red Bay Coffee, according to local news outlets.
The landmark building’s interior lights went out, while gates at some businesses remained closed. Nearby traffic signals and pedestrian crossing signs were also reportedly not working.
The Ferry Building is home to restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as a major waterfront transit hub at the center of the Port of San Francisco. The landmark attracts about 24 million visitors each year.
The power failure affected businesses during one of their busiest morning periods.
A PG&E spokesperson said the cause of the outage remained under investigation.
CONTINUE READING: Lisa Bessette: Carolyn Bessette’s Sister Makes First Public Appearance in Nearly Three Decades: A Rare Glimpse
PG&E crews inspected the electrical system at the site and repaired damaged sections, according to reports.
The latest incident comes amid multiple PG&E outages across the region in recent weeks.
In late July, an unexpected power outage in San Francisco affected nearly 9,400 customers.
“This really hurts the older small business. We’re losing so many customers,” restaurant owner Ben Pang told CBS News.
“Why only Geary Street? Why always this area?”
About two weeks earlier, another PG&E outage near the Oakland Coliseum BART station caused major train delays after a wire fell across the tracks.
PG&E says unplanned outages can result from car crashes, severe weather or tree branches striking power lines. The utility also uses Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings to help prevent wildfires by automatically shutting off electricity when a problem is detected.
As of Wednesday afternoon, two other power outages were still active in the San Francisco area. Each was affecting between 50 and 499 customers, according to PG&E’s outage map.
