April showers can’t dampen spirit of King County Water Taxi riders

Numbers bode well for year-round operations next year

The King County Water Taxi braved April showers to give the West Seattle-to-downtown passenger ferry a successful month in its first full April in operation. A total of 20,361 passengers rode the Water Taxi during the sometimes-stormy month.

“This answers the question of whether the Water Taxi can thrive during cooler weather—and that answer is an emphatic ‘Yes,’” said Dow Constantine, King County Council Chair and chair of the King County Ferry District Board. “These numbers bode well for a successful move to year-round Water Taxi operation next year.”

The Water Taxi averaged 663 riders on weekdays, 911 on Saturdays, and 1,406 on Sundays during April. This includes the Sunday, April 5, opening day on which 3,429 passengers took advantage of free rides to set a one-day Water Taxi ridership record.

Around 59 percent of the weekday ridership came during peak hour runs, showing that the Water Taxi’s regular summer-season commuters wasted no time getting back on the boat.

For more information on the King County Water Taxi, call (206) 553-3000 (TTY 206-684-1739). Riders can check on the operating status of the Water Taxi by calling (206) 205-3866.