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Second-to-last day to commute via Elliott Bay Water Taxi ’08
October 30, 2008 5:40 am
|    Comments Off on Second-to-last day to commute via Elliott Bay Water Taxi ’08
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

Tomorrow’s the last day of the year for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi — but if the forecast holds, today may be the last chance to ride it in dry weather. Friday’s bound to be fun no matter what, with free coffee and donuts promised between 6:30 and 9:30 am in honor of the final morning commute (as reported here last week, along with information on two ways to show your support for the Water Taxi and its new parent agency, the King County Ferry District).

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West Seattle scenes: Dominos; dockside; day’s end
October 26, 2008 3:06 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Fun stuff to do | Seen around town

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Meredith sends word (and photo) of something new at solar-powered Red Cup Espresso: “Friday Night Dominos game night starting at 7:00 p.m. (This week) at 9:00, a table of four was still at it and the drive-thru was open for business. Community members welcome to come play any Friday, or ask for a set of dominos to play any time you actually come in and sit.” Now, on to a Saturday night scene:

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11 pm at Seacrest, the Elliott Bay Water Taxi was about to take off on its last run of the last Saturday night of the year. As reported here the other day, morning commuters will get special thank-you treats this Friday, and Water Taxi supporters are invited to let the county know they’re behind the service, as King County Ferry District reauthorization nears. Last but not least, from WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham, a scene that followed all this: “A day of trick or treating ends for this little rescue hero as he strolls away from the Alaska Junction Saturday afternoon.”

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Prints of Matt’s work are available through his site, mattdurhamphotography.com.

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Elliott Bay Water Taxi: 1 week to go – plus, a chance to speak out
October 24, 2008 4:45 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi

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Just one week to go till the Elliott Bay Water Taxi‘s last day of the ’08 season – after Halloween night, it’s done for the year. We got word today from Chris Arkills in County Councilmember Dow Constantine‘s office of not only some special plans for the final day, but also of something you can do to voice your support for the Water Taxi’s future – here’s the update from Chris:

The last day of the 2008 Elliott Bay Water Taxi season is Friday, October 31. This year’s season has been another recordbreaking year. As of the end of September, the Water Taxi carried 169,349 passengers in five months. Last year the Water Taxi carried 166,000 riders through October, so we will be setting a new record for ridership. Preliminary numbers from October indicate that there is still a strong and dedicated ridership for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi even as the fall weather has rolled in and the tourists have left town for the most part.

With one week of service left, it is a great time to get on the Water Taxi a few more times. Take a trip downtown or mix the Water Taxi into your commute. As a way of thanking the loyal commuters who ride the boat downtown every morning, there will be free coffee and donuts on the morning commuter runs between 6:30 and 9:30 on the last day. We hope you can join us on Halloween morning or sometime this coming week to ride one more time.

We are also tentatively planning a press conference midday on October 31 at Pier 55 to speak about the success of the 2008 season and to discuss plans for the future. Details will be coming soon about the actual time and the speakers attending and we will share them with West Seattle Blog early next week.

But while the season has been very successful, there are also challenges to the King County Ferry District as well. The Ferry District was created last year to take over the Vashon Island passenger ferry, the Elliott Bay Water Taxi, and to establish up to five new demonstration routes on Lake Washington and Puget Sound. Each year the Ferry District tax must be reauthorized and there are some in the county who do not support waterborne transportation.

There is a public hearing on the Ferry District scheduled for November 3rd at 1:30 at the King County Council Chambers on the 10th floor of the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue (Third and James), Seattle. It is important the the other members of the King County Council hear how much the Elliott Bay Water Taxi means to West Seattle. If you can spare the time to attend and testify we encourage you to do so. Speakers usually have 2-3 minutes to speak. If you can’t attend but want the Council to know how you feel about keeping the Water Taxi and the King County Ferry District moving forward, please consider sending them an e-mail. It is important for other areas of the county to understand what an important asset the Elliott Bay Water Taxi is to West Seattle and how its success can be replicated around the county. Contact information for members can be found here:

www.kingcounty.gov/council.aspx

The vote on reauthorizing the King County Ferry District will occur on November 17, so it is important to share your views on the Elliott Bay Water Taxi and the Ferry District as soon as possible.

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Elliott Bay Water Taxi sets a record – with one month to go
October 7, 2008 2:41 pm
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 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | West Seattle news

Just in from King County Councilmember Dow Constantine‘s office, the official announcement:

With a month left in the 2008 sailing season the Elliott Bay Water Taxi continues to attract new passengers—and break records.

A total of 167,748 riders used the West Seattle-to-downtown foot ferry through the end of September, exceeding last year’s record of 161,331 riders. September 2008 ridership was up 9.7 percent over last September’s totals.

“The Water Taxi has routinely exceeded its 2007 ridership totals all summer,” said King County Councilmember Dow Constantine. “This puts another record year on the books as we look forward to year-round Water Taxi operation in 2010.”

The King County Ferry District took over Water Taxi funding earlier this year. This countywide special district also funds the operation of the Vashon Island-to-downtown passenger-only ferry and is expected to add up to five demonstration routes serving other Puget Sound and Lake Washington communities in the next few years. … The 2008 Water Taxi season runs through Friday, Oct. 31.

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Water Taxi up for summer, down for August (but with a caveat)
September 15, 2008 6:01 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

Latest numbers in from County Councilmember Dow Constantine‘s office – the Elliott Bay Water Taxi is still headed for a recordbreaking season, up 9 percent overall this summer, though last month’s ridership was a bit down from same time last year (remember the Water Taxi crowds because of Freeway Fright ’07?). Here’s the official announcement:Read More

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Ready to change your commute? Here’s a High Point proposal
August 30, 2008 4:57 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | High Point | Neighborhoods | Transportation

wttuesday.jpgJust posted on the High Point Neighborhood Association website – a call from the HP Green Living Committee for High Point residents who work downtown to commute together via the Elliott Bay Water Taxi next Wednesday, and maybe weekly after that if it works out. (The EBWT season continues through 10/31.) To get in on this, start here.

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Water Taxi bumps dock: Reader report plus Argosy update
August 28, 2008 9:53 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | West Seattle news

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If you go to Seacrest, you might see some yellow tape cordoning off the end of the fishing pier, after the Elliott Bay Water Taxi hit it this morning. Argosy Cruises, which operates the Water Taxi boat Sightseer, confirms a “minor incident” at Seacrest; we checked with Argosy after getting this first-person account from Sofia:

I was waiting on the lower dock to ride the 7:30 am water taxi to work this morning. As the Elliott Bay Taxi pulled in you could see a worried look on the boat’s captain. As she got closer she shouted Oh No and we could tell the boat was coming in too fast. I held on to the rail to brace myself as the taxi came in and hit the upper fishing dock and knocked out the South West Corner Piling (the one closest to the lower loading dock for the taxi). The post was knocked away from the dock and the whole dock shook, the boat then proceeded to go underneath the dock and then finally stopping. There was a small amount of damage to the boat, the overhang over the upstairs windows was bent slightly. The fisherman on the dock were shook up, then they proceeded to joke and pretend that their legs were cut off, but I am sure the ship’s captain was not finding it funny. I felt really bad for her, you can tell she was very scared during this. She then calmly and professionally loaded the boat, called someone (I am guessing argosy headquarters) and then had one of the boat’s mates tape up the corner of the dock so no one stands on that edge. I did not get a photo, but thought people might want to know what happened. It was quite a way to wake up on a groggy morning commute!

Argosy confirms it has staffers out at the dock but spokesperson Maureen Black stresses that the Water Taxi’s schedule IS NOT affected by this. We went out to the scene and indeed saw people in a small boat looking at the piling — here’s video:

Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click pic to play video

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New Water Taxi numbers: Another mega-month
August 8, 2008 9:24 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

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A little more than halfway through this year’s Elliott Bay Water Taxi season, we just got word from King County Councilmember Dow Constantine‘s office that ridership numbers for July were once again up double digits from the same month a year earlier – here’s the full news release:Read More

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King County Ferry District’s new website sets sail
July 22, 2008 9:04 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | West Seattle online

The Elliott Bay Water Taxi schedules are still anchored to the Metro website, but you can now read all about the new-ish parent agency of the Water Taxi and the Seattle-Vashon passenger ferry – and in the future, maybe more foot ferries — on the new King County Ferry District website.

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Water Taxi: More romantic than a Venice gondola?
July 18, 2008 2:37 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

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That’s Irene Stewart, West Seattle’s former Seattle School Board rep, and Fauntleroy Community Association president Bruce Butterfield. They got engaged recently on the Elliott Bay Water Taxi. We heard the story at the last FCA meeting but thought it was off the record … till the photo above, and a King County news release about it, just landed in the WSB inbox!

On a boat normally frequented by commuters and Mariners fans, West Seattle residents Irene Stewart and Bruce Butterfield found an entirely different use for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi: They got engaged.

On June 25, Stewart and Butterfield were celebrating their tenth anniversary of dating. Ten years earlier, they had taken the Water Taxi downtown for their first date, and they decided this year to do the same in celebration.

“We took the Water Taxi to make it easy on ourselves – nothing fancy, just a fun ride to a restaurant downtown,” said Stewart, who as an aide to then King County Councilmember Greg Nickels was instrumental in getting the service started.

Stewart said everything seemed normal until the vessel approached Pier 55 on the downtown waterfront. All of a sudden, the captain veered to the left and turned the boat around so it faced West Seattle. Everyone onboard was quite confused.

Almost everyone, that is.

For Butterfield, this was all part of the plan. Earlier in the day, he made several trips to Seacrest Park to speak with the captain and crew, and enlist their support.

With the city skyline in the background (hence the turning of the ship) and two crewmembers filming, a packed deck watched with surprise as Butterfield knelt down on one knee and asked Stewart to marry him.

Everyone cheered. But Butterfield shushed them. “She hasn’t said ‘yes’ yet,” he said, but Stewart quickly agreed. There was more cheering downtown as the Water Taxi docked and the newly engaged couple continued on their journey – in more ways than one.

Stewart is currently director of the Seattle Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens, and was a member of the Seattle School Board from 2003 to 2007. Butterfield is a Realtor with Prudential Northwest Realty at Jefferson Square and president of the Fauntleroy Community Association. No date has been set, but the two anticipate a summer 2009 wedding.

Congratulations to Irene and Bruce! P.S. Speaking of the Water Taxi, WSB has just become a proud sponsor of West Seattle’s own foot ferry … we took a picture of our new banner yesterday while heading downtown:Read More

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Water Taxi update: June ridership sails past last year’s levels
July 8, 2008 3:00 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

wtrtxi.jpgJust in from the office of West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine – Elliott Bay Water Taxi ridership for June has been tallied and it’s 14 percent higher than last year, following a double-digit increase for the preceding month — news release with full details, ahead:Read More

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Water views, on the bay and on the hill
June 28, 2008 12:28 am
|    Comments Off on Water views, on the bay and on the hill
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | High Point | Seen around town | Seen at sea

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Thanks to JayDee for sending that view of a state ferry and cruise ship on Elliott Bay, photographed from the 4:40 pm Water Taxi run. A few hours later, we captured this view from High Point Pond:

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Good birdwatching at the pond – besides the two Canada geese on the pond in the photo, down by the water’s edge we saw two baby ducks and their mom (photo didn’t come out, unfortunately) and abundant barn swallows.

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Water Taxi dock otters: Caught on camera
June 20, 2008 10:50 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Wildlife

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Thanks to Alki resident Marge Carpenter for sending photos — she and husband Larry were on the same Water Taxi run from downtown yesterday afternoon, but we didn’t see them till after getting on the boat, and didn’t know they’d caught the otters (mentioned here last night) on cam. Sorry we don’t have zoom processing; they were indeed that different in size, maybe parent and child?

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Thursday late-night notes: Pre-solstice sunset; sea life
June 19, 2008 11:57 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Seen at sea | Wildlife

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Thanks to Dave Gould for that photo of the last sunset before summer arrives. Solstice is 4:59 pm our time tomorrow. Next photo is more about what you don’t see than what you do see:

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That’s the view from the railing to the south of the ramp going down to the Elliott Bay Water Taxi dock downtown, if you didn’t recognize it. The small wooden float at the center with the upside-down boat had two visitors this afternoon while we were waiting to catch the WT home from our City Hall visit — they were gone before we could pull out the cameraphone, but we wanted to mention them: two otters! (Just in case you were still feeling sad about the one killed over here last weekend, looks like they have friends/relatives in the bay; hope the two we saw don’t try crossing Alaskan Way …)

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First full ’08 month for Water Taxi a biggie
June 6, 2008 12:02 pm
|    Comments Off on First full ’08 month for Water Taxi a biggie
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

wttuesday.jpgAs promised the other night, when King County Councilmember Dow Constantine told the Southwest District Council that the Elliott Bay Water Taxi’s ridership was up 17 percent over last year (as of mid-May), we now have the complete May report, and it has other interesting details — read on:Read More

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Southwest District Council tonight: Quick news notes
June 4, 2008 10:52 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Neighborhoods | Southwest District Council | West Seattle news

From tonight’s monthly meeting of the Southwest District Council, which includes representatives of neighborhood associations and other major organizations in the area of West Seattle that the city considers the “Southwest District” (map of all “districts” here):

HELP CLEAN UP A MAJOR GATEWAY TO WEST SEATTLE: It’s been discussed here before, and now the date is set: The volunteer cleanup from 35th/Fauntleroy to “Walking on Logs” is set for Sept. 13, as announced at tonight’s meeting by Nancy Driver. Mark your calendar!

WATER TAXI RIDERSHIP UP: King County Councilmember Dow Constantine attended tonight’s meeting and provided a quick preview of recent ridership stats — Elliott Bay Water Taxi operation: Through the middle of May, readership is up 17 percent over last year. (We’re expecting the full May stats soon.) Two factors are considered to be in play — higher gas prices and higher Water Taxi awareness.

RAPIDRIDE REACTION: With the latest news about West Seattle RapidRide (WSB coverage here), Constantine got an earful of concerns about the latest details on the forthcoming bus service. He promised to report the concerns to Metro leadership and his colleagues.

VIADUCT MEETING: The Southwest and Delridge District Councils plan to discuss the latest on The Viaduct at their next joint meeting, coming up in September.

JAIL-SITES FIGHT: Monday night’s Highland Park meeting on the jail sites (WSB coverage here) was summarized, and new Highland Park Action Committee chair Dorsol Plants spoke to the SWDC and asked the council to write a letter expressing concern about the two proposed West Seattle sites; council reps agreed to do that and are consulting their respective organizations. Councilmember Constantine said that tomorrow is when he plans to introduce the proposal he mentioned at Monday night’s Highland Park meeting — proposing that the county extend its agreement to house cities’ misdemeanor offenders till a regional solution can be found, rather than having Seattle and other cities each pursue their own potential new jail sites. He says the county council’s Committee of the Whole, which he chairs, will get the proposal on Monday, with a hearing and action scheduled later. (If you missed it earlier, this morning the city announced dates for its public meetings on the jail sites – details here.)

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Scenes from the Water Taxi opening-day celebration
April 27, 2008 3:36 pm
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 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | West Seattle video

Yes, there was even clowning around at the Elliott Bay Water Taxi’s opening-day celebration at Seacrest earlier this afternoon – there you see the guest clown creating not a balloon animal, but a balloon flower, in about 20 seconds. We showed you the Water Taxi’s first arrival earlier this morning; ahead, more of this afternoon’s festivities, including the crowd, the shuttle, the band, the speech (and remember, rides are free all day long):Read More

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Update: Elliott Bay Water Taxi’s 2008 season has begun!
April 27, 2008 9:19 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

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We got that photo from Seacrest less than an hour ago as the Elliott Bay Water Taxi headed over from Pier 55 on its first official run of the season. Upon arrival, a loudspeaker announcement from the crew thanked their inaugural group of passengers — five in all (you can hear the announcement in this clip:

As mentioned earlier, the kickoff ceremony, emceed by West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine and featuring music by West Seattle’s Bronwyn Edwards Cryer, is happening noon-2 pm. Water Taxi rides are free all day (here’s the schedule), and remember the free shuttle is now back in business too (here’s its schedule) – taking it will be a really good idea today, given the limited parking at and around Seacrest. The Water Taxi’s season is set to continue all the way through Halloween this year, with the full 7-day schedule all the way till the end.

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Happening today: Water Taxi, Pet Fest, Farmers’ Market …
April 27, 2008 6:12 am
|    Comments Off on Happening today: Water Taxi, Pet Fest, Farmers’ Market …
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Pets | West Seattle Farmers' Market

Check the West Seattle Weekend Lineup for more local events today; here are 3 highlights:

FIRST DAY FOR THE ELLIOTT BAY WATER TAXI: The big celebration is noon-2 pm; rides are free all day; the first sighting of the Water Taxi at Seacrest should be around 8:40, going by the Sunday schedule.

FIRST-EVER “PET FEST” IN THE JUNCTION: 10 am-4 pm in the Wells Fargo parking lot, NE corner of 44th/Alaska. More info here, more on the newly added “Most Beautiful Pet” contest at noon (we’ll be showcasing the winner!) on the Next to Nature site here (or in this previous WSB post).

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: As always, we bring you the weekly “fresh sheet” for what you’ll find on the SE corner of 44th/Alaska, 10 am-2 pm – plus word of some special events (and a giveaway) today:Read More

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Video: Elliott Bay Water Taxi crew practices for Sunday start
April 24, 2008 10:30 pm
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 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

Thanks to marketing director Maureen Black at Argosy Cruises for answering our inquiries about when we might catch the Sightseer — aka the Elliott Bay Water Taxi, now operated by the new King County Ferry District — in action prior to its season debut this Sunday; as a result, we caught the crew in action doing touch-and-go practice at Seacrest this afternoon. Here’s a longer clip from our visit to Seacrest:

Rides are free all day Sunday; the EBWT will start running that morning (8:30 am from downtown), but the real fun at the dock will be the official launch-day festivities noon-2 pm, with West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine emceeing (he can be a lively host, as evidenced at the 34th Legislative District Caucus earlier this month) and Argosy CEO Kevin Clark also scheduled to appear.

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Water Taxi countdown: Five days till the season starts
April 22, 2008 4:53 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

wtrtxi.jpgWe asked the staff of West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine for some info-bits to add to our Elliott Bay Water Taxi countdown, and here’s one for starters — Take a close look at this year’s schedule; the “maintenance break” gap at midmorning is gone; King County staff worked with Argosy to shorten the time needed, so there’s now a 9:30 boat from Seacrest and a 10:30 boat from Pier 55. (The Water Taxi starts its season on Sunday; rides are free all day and there’s a celebration from noon-2 pm.)

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Don’t recycle that postcard: Elliott Bay Water Taxi freebie
April 19, 2008 3:33 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

wtrtxi.jpgOne more event we’re counting down to – opening day for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi a week from tomorrow. (Full schedule here, including details on the opening-day festivities.) Rides are free all day that day, but for subsequent trips, there’s a coupon for a freebie on a postcard from West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine that’s landing in (postal) mailboxes now (we just got ours).

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Elliott Bay Water Taxi schedule now posted online
April 8, 2008 8:30 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

watertaxisailiconsize.jpgThanks to Jeremy for the tip – since our last check of the King County website late last night, the Elliott Bay Water Taxi‘s full operating schedule has been posted online. Direct links to the schedule tables: Weekdays; weekends. (As first reported last month, the Water Taxi starts running April 27; the full schedule continues through Oct. 31.)

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