Speaking of transit money: Water Taxi fares increase in March

(WSB photo from early February)
Water Taxi fares are going up this Saturday (March 1st), the King County Ferry District has just announced. Here’s what the new fares will be:

For the West Seattle route, that’s 75 cents more if you pay cash, 50 cents more pre-paid, 25 cents more for seniors/disabled people and youth 6-18 (prepaid). Kids 5 and under remain free. The Ferry District’s announcement also says West Seattle Water Taxi ridership for last year was up almost 3 percent over the year before.

ADDED: It should be noted that since the Water Taxi doesn’t run on weekends during the winter, the fares technically go up Monday (March 3rd).

Diane February 24, 2014 (6:38 pm)

almost 10 bucks round trip for this teensy little boat ride; ridiculous

West City mom February 24, 2014 (8:15 pm)

Does that mean that a 6 year-old without an ORCA card pays $4.75?

Be mama February 24, 2014 (8:27 pm)

Yowsers! Expensive.

Kennedy February 24, 2014 (9:35 pm)

Cheaper then driving downtown for work everyday though and faster since there is traffic to worry about on the west seattle bridge. I would say it’s one of the best commutes to seattle plus that 4.00 dollars also pays for the shuttle bus to and from the water taxi.

Karl February 24, 2014 (11:31 pm)

Not enticing for leisure travel. Couple round trip on Saturday in spring. 16 round trip. Or drive and 5 dollar all day lot.

Ducky February 25, 2014 (9:49 am)

The water taxi is a wonderful service for WS, *and* has become too pricey to be more than a once-in-awhile splurge for me.

I realize this is no longer run by King County, but I wish there were still free/cheap transfers, and other incentives to use the taxi as transportation (versus recreation-oriented excursion) to downtown and beyond.

WSB February 25, 2014 (9:57 am)

Ducky, it IS run by King County. Not by Metro but King County Ferry District is the parent agency and its board is the County Council wearing different hats.

Diane February 25, 2014 (9:53 am)

couple RT Sat in Spring, if you don’t have ORCA; $19 cash; yep, even a higher priced all day lot downtown would be cheaper, faster, more reliable
~
but at least when you ride the water taxi now, you don’t have to worry about running into any annoying poor folk (sarcasm)
~
and of course all the officials who set the new high priced rates, are gifted with free ORCA cards in their jobs

sam-c February 25, 2014 (9:59 am)

I think the last time we took the water taxi was a baseball game a few years ago. haven’t been on it since then. it was already too expensive for us before the price change. we’re able to find parking for less $$ than taking our whole family on the water taxi. (commuting not a factor for us- don’t work downtown- I am sure it is cheaper to take this than park every day for work). I am glad though that ridership is up- hopefully it will stay up.

SGG February 27, 2014 (12:14 pm)

Hmmm, four bucks or languish in the stop and go traffic on the West Seattle bridge, then the slow as molasses northbound 99 only to compete for parking downtown. Next time you are stuck on the West Seattle bridge when there is an accident, an event, it rains, its sunny, there is construction, or something else, ask yourself if you wouldn’t be willing to pay $4 to get the heck out of there.

You critics can’t really be serious. This is the only piece of transportation infrastructure that actually makes things better.

Chaz March 2, 2014 (8:29 am)

I don’t mind the weekday rates as most people probably save on parking downtown, but for the weekend for leisure travelers is should go down. I took my 3 kids and wife to a baseball game, now it will cost $34 round trip to go a mile or so across the water.

Aaron B March 2, 2014 (1:52 pm)

Perhaps the Ferry District should try these cute little water taxis: http://www.designboom.com/technology/jet-capsule-water-boats-proposes-private-taxi-versions-02-08-2014/

SGG March 3, 2014 (9:02 am)

Not to sound unsympathetic, but I don’t know anyone who thinks that having a family of five is cheap or even affordable. I can only imagine how expensive the game would be for a family of five.

Based on my observations on Seahawks and Sounders games, the price is probably just right. I have ridden it on game days when they were at max capacity, and people were waiting for the next boat. Sounds like most of those people thought it was worth it as well.

sam-c March 3, 2014 (1:20 pm)

SGG, not to sound unsympathetic, but I hardly ever get “stuck on the West Seattle bridge when there is an accident, an event, it rains, its sunny, there is construction, or something else” my commute makes sure of that, it’s walking distance, at a little over a mile and I don’t have to leave WS.

I was comparing it to parking downtown, fees included, a car-full of people- when that car-full of people is headed somewhere downtown or a baseball game- and we usually manage to find free street parking for those games.
(haven’t been to anything at Clink- out of our budget. but we used to go to baseball games $7 a ticket in CF bleachers. I know the prices have gone/ are going up, but we only went to 1 BB game last year so I don’t really know how much they are now)

Sorry, comment time is over.