King County extends Water Taxi through summer

The one-year pilot demonstration of the Elliott Bay Water Taxi will continue through the summer thanks to a solution crafted by King County Executive Ron Sims and Metropolitan King County Councilmember Dow Constantine.

"The Water Taxi offers a popular commute option during nice weather," said Sims. "Our experience during this pilot project indicates that summer ridership is the highest, so we want to collect data from another summer to make a financially responsible decision about the future of the Water Taxi."

The Water Taxi currently operates seven days a week across Seattle’s Elliott Bay, between Pier 54 at the foot of Madison Street on the downtown waterfront and the Seacrest dock in West Seattle. The crossing time between Seacrest and Pier 54 is approximately eight minutes in good weather.

Funding for summer sailings was not included in the 2002 county budget. Executive Sims said he will suspend operations of the Metro Transit Route 773 shuttle in West Seattle after June 7, and reallocate the shuttle’s operating budget to pay for this summer’s Water Taxi service. Ridership on the shuttle, which began in the spring of 2001 to provide Water Taxi connections, has been low.

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Dow Constantine, who represents West Seattle and worked with Sims on the Water Taxi extension, said he is working to find an ongoing source of funding.

"The Water Taxi was initially funded only for the year-long demonstration period that ends this month, but in response to community demand for the service we have found a way to keep it afloat through September," said Constantine.