Return of the Water Taxi

Admiral Janeway March 21, 2007 (9:41 pm)

The water taxi is probably the most pleasurable and relaxing mass transit option in Seattle. Of course, a lot of experienced commuters know that on Mariner game nights, it’s usually quicker!

dq March 21, 2007 (10:04 pm)

we so look forward to water taxi season! you can use your regular bus pass and it is such a great way to start and end the day. wish it would run all year round! Argosy has been running it, and told me last year that their boat is capable of doing it in the winter too…

dq March 21, 2007 (10:13 pm)

ps i just emailed mike.beck@metrokc.gov who is listed as the “water taxi contact”. if anyone else is interested in having this as a year round commuter option (especially with all the Viaduct talk) please email him!

herongrrrl March 21, 2007 (10:24 pm)

Any word on whether or not the Alki-Junction shuttle will be part of this year’s service?

I sure hope they will consider this as a year-round option to alleviate some of the congestion that will happen whenever whatever happens to the viaduct happens!

Tracy S. March 22, 2007 (9:13 am)

Yay for the return of the Water Taxi!! I do hope the CA/Admiral shuttle runs again…it’s the only way I was able to take the boat without driving down to the launch. I hear the year-round service can’t happen until there is a fixed (and not floating) dock in place. Hopefully, THAT doesn’t get bogged down in votes and re-votes too…

chas redmond March 22, 2007 (9:31 am)

The water taxi shuttle right now only serves the northern end of West Seattle. For the water taxi to actually represent a choice for West Seattle users, the shuttle would have to travel from Alki to Westwood Village and make a circuit through the entire peninsula. More shuttles (I think they’ve got only one now) would make this an actual viable transportation choice – but only if they actually served ALL of West Seattle. Alki and Alaska Junction are NOT West Seattle – they are “part” of West Seattle. With few choices and aperiodic bus service (the 21 is either always late or skips some runs and the 22 quits at 6) I’ll still be using my car for most trips off the peninsula.

Administrator March 22, 2007 (9:45 am)

In the early years of the Water Taxi, the shuttle went all the way to Morgan Junction … we have a vivid memory in particular from Fourth of July 1998, when we walked to the house of a relative who lived near California/Morgan, caught the Water Taxi Shuttle there, rode across the bay, then took the streetcar to Myrtle Edwards for the fireworks.

Sue March 22, 2007 (10:17 am)

Chas, I think many people actually believe that Alki and the Junction are the entirety of West Seattle. I was on the 120 bus a few weeks ago, headed home down Delridge, and this guy asked a guy next to him where to get off for a particular address in WS, and he was told that “this bus doesn’t go to West Seattle.” I had to correct him, and actually help the guy get to where he was going. Meanwhile, the guy who said this bus wasn’t going to West Seattle – I thought maybe he lived in Burien at the other end of the bus and didn’t know better. But no, he got off at Myrtle (and did every day for a week after that). So he lives in West Seattle, but doesn’t even realize it!

Soupytwist March 22, 2007 (12:37 pm)

Not to upset folks who live in Delridge, Westwood, Arbor Heights, White Center, Roxbury, etc., but those areas have not technically been a part of West Seattle. “West Seattle” has historically been bordered by 35th Ave SW and Roxbury to the west and the south, so I think that’s where a lot of confusion comes from.

A lot of the Very Old Timers who ride my bus like to tell me about it, and get agitated if told otherwise, as do folks I know who live on Pigeon Point. ;)

Sue March 22, 2007 (1:44 pm)

I found this online at http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=3317 – “City of Seattle annexes the Town of West Seattle on July 24, 1907.
HistoryLink.org Essay 3317

On July 24, 1907, the City of Seattle annexes the City of West Seattle. The Seattle City Council passes ordinance 16558 that increases the area of the Seattle by nearly one-third, adding 16.34 square miles. The town of West Seattle incorporated in April 1902 and grew by its own annexations in 1904 and in 1907.
This was by far the second largest annexation to the City of Seattle. Seattle annexed a slightly larger area (16.94 sq. miles) in 1891 that included Magnolia Bluff to Lake Union to Green Lake.

West Seattle boundaries were: on the south by SW Roxbury Street, east by 1st Avenue S and north and west by Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. In October 1907 the Seattle City Council renamed the streets of West Seattle.

Sue March 22, 2007 (2:06 pm)

From Historylink.org: “On July 24, 1907, the City of Seattle annexes the City of West Seattle . . . boundaries were: on the south by SW Roxbury Street, east by 1st Avenue S and north and west by Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. In October 1907 the Seattle City Council renamed the streets of West Seattle.”

Soupytwist March 22, 2007 (3:40 pm)

It’s interesting to see where the people’s history and the official history part ways, isn’t it?

ML March 22, 2007 (5:38 pm)

Dnn’t email Mike Beck, he’s only staff.
Email Kevin Desmond, Metro Transit Gen Mgr
kevin.desmond@metrokc.gov
or Harold Taniguchi, Director of KCDOT
harold.taniguchi@metrokc.gov