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:
Water Taxi rides into fall at a record pace
Summer ridership totals well ahead of 2007The Elliott Bay Water Taxi continued its record pace through the month of August, with summer season ridership up by more than 9 percent over last year’s best-ever numbers.
August’s 40,231 riders represented the third-best month in the Water Taxi’s decade-long history. The top two months for the West Seattle-to-downtown passenger ferry were July 2008 (42,436 riders) and August 2007 (43,020 riders). Last August’s big numbers were caused in part by the two-week closure of several lanes of Interstate 5, which convinced a record number of commuters to use this transit alternative.
“The Water Taxi notched its second straight month with more than 40,000 riders and we’re on pace for another record-breaking year,” said King County Councilmember Dow Constantine. “Public interest in waterborne transit is at an all-time high as we prepare to take the Water Taxi to year-round operation in 2010.”
The King County Ferry District took over Water Taxi funding 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.
This year, the Water Taxi is scheduled to run till October 31st.
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