Water Taxi

[Homer]

Sooooooo…..????? Has anyone hopped aboard the new water taxi yet? How’s the new boat? Faster, nicer, etc.? Also, mainly, does it have an open-air upper deck for us to sit on during nice summer days like the old one did?

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[miws]

Homer, Here‘s the latest (I believe) article from the Main Page.

It does have an open-air deck, however it’s smaller than the one on the old Argosy Sightseer.

Mike

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[oldgrayboarder]

I am a 3 year bike/water taxi commuter, so I was very anxious to try the new boat and management (King county vs. Argosy) Here are my observations, good and bad, in more or less chronological order:

• The West Seattle dock is a million times more stable, no more hanging on to the rail for dear life when there are waves.
• There are many more bike rack spots, and easier to use.
• The boat is definitely faster; travel time seems to be about 8 or 9 minutes rather than 12+ on the old Sightseer, with much more streamlined embarking/disembarking
• There are no concessions. I really miss the bottomless $1 cup of coffee Argosy provided. I think they may start up something at some point.
• There is much less open deck space – not a problem now, but come summer there definitely will be fewer open air chairs than people desiring open air so prepare to grab a chair when the music stops.
• Passengers are not allowed on the front of the boat, which was nice on the old Sightseer when you felt like reenacting the scene from Titanic
• On the third day, when I presented my company-provided Flexpass, they informed me that they no longer accept it. I seriously thought the guy was joking but no. I mentioned the fanfare that accompanied the renaming of the “Elliot Bay Water Taxi” to “KING COUNTY Water Taxi” and the the fact that my Flexpass was issued by KING COUNTY, and my company had paid for 1 year of access, not 8 months. The guy was very nice, and extremely apologetic, he clearly did not like bringing this news to riders and he did let me ride anyway. They now only accept Orca cards, so I will check if my company can switch over. So be ready to pay if you only have a FlexPass. Also I do not think they provide transfers for a discounted return ride or continuation on Metro bus anymore.

I miss the old boat and friendly Argosy crew, but the new boat is better suited for all year service and increasing ridership. I’m sure the new crew will grow on me.

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[Sue]

oldgrayboarder, I appreciate your comment about the deck stability. I’ve taken the water taxi twice, and both times I felt like I was going to fall into the water on that deck. I have mobility issues, so it was really frightening. I swore I would never ride it again as a result. I’ll definitely give it a try to see how it’s changed.

One thing I’m still not clear on: in the past, if you had a metro pass for any amount, you rode the taxi for free. But it’s sounding like if I have a $2 orca card, I still have to pay the balance – is that true? I just emailed them to ask, but thought someone here might know.

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[celeste17]

The Orca fare is 3.00 and will automatically come out of your account.

The deck on both sides is much better. I rode it today and there was a person with a wheelchair and the access on both sides was easy. The boat it self is very nice. On the bottom there are tables with booths and there are chairs. I haven’t been upstairs yet. I am hoping that they will eventually clean the windows at the front of the boat so when you are sitting there you can look out.

When you come arrive on the downtown side you are coming out near the ferry terminal (Yesler) and you can continue you journey from there. Its a nice walk to the King County Courthouse for me in the mornings and in the afternoons.

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[Homer]

Hmmmm….guess I can’t say I don’t like the new boat, but there was something to be said for the Water Taxi to be not that, a Taxi. Before, it was more of an ecletic fun ride over with ample open-air space. It felt more like you were on an inexpensive cruise whereas now it’s more like a taxi. Again, not bad, just miss the feel of the old boat…

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[celeste17]

Well all I can say is that when traffic is backed up with the construction and with the sports games I will gladly take the water taxi even if I can’t sit upstairs.

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[JayDee]

Like oldgrayboarder my flexpass won’t pay the fare. Our company will be getting new passes in June, but until then, it is $6 for me to commute on the WT, vs. $9 for early bird parking. The bus is “free” aside from my $30/month co-pay for a bus pass. But the bus isn’t free–the crowded “improved” 5:00 56 is not nearly as fun as the WT, new or old. Because the new WT lets out so much further south, I need to take take the bus tunnel to get to the core of downtown, and vice versa on the way home. Better than a sharp stick, but not as nice as Pier 55.

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[velo_nut]

I hope they can use magical powers to make it not sway so much. Maybe a hover craft. I also want it to be free and have a Trader Joe’s on the second deck. I want them to pay ME to use the ferry. I want. I want. I want.

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[carterbiosea]

I took my 2 year old this past Sunday (BOAT!), and it was a good experience. Sadly, I cannot commute via the water taxi, but it is a fun way to get into downtown on weekends. It is a bit of a hike from the new Pier 50 dock, but not too bad. The docks on both sides were very stable, and it was easy to get on and off. The new boat, apart from being faster, will be able to handle the weather year-round.

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[JoB]

velonut..

you ask too much.

a trader joe’s on the pier would be adequate

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[Cooperdog]

My mom took me to the opening celebration and after waiting in line with many others, we were turned away at boarding ramp because I am a dog. I was very disappointed, as I ride the Metro on occasion quite comfortably. I am big, yes, but very well mannered (and handsome). My mom searched WT website and signage at the dock for ‘NO DOGS’ but did not find any restrictions in writing. Is it possible to either 1) allow leashed dogs onboard 2)make a clear statement in public notices that dogs are not welcome?

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[Gina]

My Orca card is only good for 2.25 of the fare, equal to the one zone peak fare price.

When the viaduct closes it will be a good value.

At this time Metro busses can get me home 1/2 hour faster than the Water Taxi/Shuttle combo. This will be a great choice at a future date!

Be interesting to see if it will be as attractive to tourists when the summer months come.

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[flowerpetal]

I was disappointed to find out my Orca card didn’t work the way my pass did last year. I had to pay .75 cents. And while that is not an issue because I had money on me, it would typically be a problem as I don’t usually have any cash on me.

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[Sue]

flowerpetal, you can put a small amount of $ in an “epurse” on your Orca card, for times like that when you need to go over your pass value. I have a monthly pass, but put $5 at a time on the ePurse for times when I need to go an extra zone on a bus. The minimum amount you can put is $5. I don’t use it often, but it’s nice to have when needed.

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[JayDee]

Flowerpetal: Do you know if you have a “passport” ORCA card or a “choice” card (assuming your employer provides it)? We will be getting passport versions of the ORCA and I am hoping it covers the whole $3 fare. From what I can read, the “choice” card has a limit on the value (i.e. you can “drain” it if you use it on the WT)

–

I find that relying on the WT/shuttle to get get home takes darn near 50 or more minutes door-to-door…while the 56 is about 35-40 minutes (including the walk to 1st ave from work).

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[westcoastdeb]

I too waited in line. I too had a dog. I got compliments from strangers about how good he was with their kids. I was thrilled that he was so at ease on the platforms. I got to the taxi.

I got turned away. Now, half of me expected it, but I was looking for signs, etc too and found none. If they do not allow pets, I fully understand and support it, however, some signage would have been nice.

On the plus is the fact that he was SO good there. Hopefully we will be visiting senior centers soon, so the experience at least was good for him.

Deb

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[Sue]

Deb, I agree that a sign should be posted about pets. It does say here http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/WaterTaxi/CustomerServices.aspx#animals that no pets (other than service animals) are allowed on the water taxi. I’m surprised though; aren’t they run by the same people as Metro buses? You can bring pets on there, unless that’s changed recently.

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[flowerpetal]

The ferry is operated by Kng County Ferry District, not be Metro. Even knowing that, I am a little surprised they do not allow leashed dogs on board.

My employer provides my card; and I haven’t taken the time to understand if I can put credit on it like other ORCA card users. Its on my to-do list.

I usually don’t take the ferry to save time; unless there is a Mariners or Sounders game mucking with commuter traffic. I take the ferry cuz its fun. And Salty’s happy hour is at the other end. AND the shuttle goes right by Cafe Revo.

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[Sue]

flowerpetal, my Orca card is employer-issued, and I can still register it and add cash myself to the ePurse. The only thing I didn’t do is sign up for automatic reloading of the ePurse – I wasn’t sure whether it would then automatically renew my monthly pass through my credit card too, and didn’t want to risk any confusion.

Thanks for the clarification of KC Ferry District vs. Metro. I guess I was thinking about how the ferry buses are listed on the metro site, so I assumed it was all run through metro somehow.

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[jellyfish]

I love the new water taxi. Too bad about not allowing dogs, but I’m sure it’s a liability issue. One big lawsuit could probably put them out of business.

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