If you have to commute across the bay, it’s tough to beat the ride on the Tiburon Ferry. The trip is quick — at less than 20 minutes, maybe too quick — the views are majestic and the coffee, cocktails and fresh air are only steps away.

But the water ride, privately operated by Blue & Gold Fleet, is in financial straits and could be cut back to a single round trip a day — that is, unless the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District decides to take over the service, adding it to its existing ferry links to Sausalito and Larkspur....

Blue & Gold also contracts with San Francisco Bay Ferry to run ferry service between San Francisco and the East Bay and South San Francisco. However, the Golden Gate Bridge district was envisioned as a potential fit in Tiburon since it already runs Marin ferries and provides transit service via bus to Tiburon....

It will also consider eliminating a lightly ridden commuter bus, route 8, which makes three daily round trips between Tiburon and San Francisco’s Financial District. Savings from that cut could be used to help support the new ferry service.