West Seattle Water Taxi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

West Seattle Water Taxi


Locale	West Seattle, Washington
Waterway	Elliott Bay
Transit type	Passenger ferry
No. of lines	1
No. of terminals	2
Owner	King County Metro
Website	King County Metro
Operator	Argosy Cruises

West Seattle Water Taxi (also known as Elliott Bay Water Taxi) is a ferry that crosses Elliott Bay from pier 55 on the downtown Seattle waterfront to the Seacrest dock in West Seattle. The ferry's crossing time is approximately twelve minutes^[1], and the fare is $3 for adults^[1]. The water taxi operates seven days a week from April 29th to September 30th.

The shuttle is used for commuting, getting as many as 1,000 riders daily in July and August^[2], and has even become a popular tourist attraction due to Seacrest parks's beautiful views, the short walk to Alki Beach and the wonderful restaurants in West Seattle^[3].

[edit] History

West Seattle is the oldest neighborhood ^[4] and the birthplace of the city of Seattle. It is surrounded on three sides by water and has both enjoyed and suffered its isolation from the "mainland" of downtown Seattle.

The first licensed ferry in the Seattle area^[5] launched on December 24, 1888 traveled from Seacrest Park in West Seattle to downtown Seattle, as well as other water-bound location throughout the Puget Sound. It was a steam-powered sidewheel ship named the City of Seattle and made two trips a day, carrying West Seattle homesteaders east to the city, and weekend vacationers west to the beachfront^[6].

Prior to that time, the old so-called Mosquito Fleet^[7] of steam powered boats carried travelers to and from numerous islands and peninsulas in the Puget Sound area. The West Seattle Water Taxi was discontinued when the first bridge across the Duwamish River was built.

Over time, a succession of bridges were installed to connect the West Seattle peninsula to downtown proper, beginning with the old wood-and-rail Spokane Street bridge in 1920. In 1970, calls for a modern solution brought attention to the growing problem of commuting to downtown; in 1978, the freighter ship Chavez crashed into the lower bridge^[8] requiring a new high rise bridge that is still the main path into and out of West Seattle today.

As West Seattle has grown in popularity, travel in and out of the city has become more congested. The Water Taxi was brought back to life in 1998 and has been the subject of much debate ever since. King County Metro now operates it from late Spring to Early Fall, carrying between 500 and 1,000 people downtown everyday. It is a particular favorite of those catching a Mariners baseball game in nearby Safeco Field.

Many West Seattle locals are strive to find a way to make the Water Taxi a permanent and year round public transport alternative.