Traffic & Transit
Olympic Water Taxi In San Pedro One Step Closer To Reality
The water taxi would provide transportation between San Pedro and Long Beach during the 2028 Olympics.
SAN PEDRO, CA — A plan to establish a water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach in time for the 2028 Olympics is now one step closer to reality after a committee vote to explore the feasibility of the idea.
The Metro's Ad-Hoc Committee on the Olympic and Paralympic Games on Wednesday unanimously approved the decision to explore the water taxi proposal made by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn in April. Hahn serves as the chair of the Metro Board of Directors and chair of Metro’s Ad-Hoc Committee.
Hanh's proposal came after Long Beach officials announced the city was selected to host 11 sporting events during the 2028 LA Olympics.
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"If we are serious about people taking transit to every Olympic event, we need to get creative," Hahn said in a statement Wednesday. "The water taxi's time has come."
SEE ALSO: Long Beach To Host Series Of Olympic Games In 2028
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The idea would be to offer an "innovative" public transportation system for San Pedro and surrounding communities to get to Long Beach without worrying about traffic congestion along city streets, freeways or the Vincent Thomas Bridge, according to Hahn.
"It would offer residents, workers and tourists an alternative to driving and parking at the Games venues that's not only reliable and affordable, but fun as well," Hahn said. "It's time to explore what it would take to get this idea off the ground and into the water.
The idea for a water taxi isn't new or out of the ordinary for the area.
Long Beach Transit currently has an AquaBus and AquaLink that serve as alternative transportation across the city's shoreline.
Before the construction of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, a ferry service between San Pedro and Terminal Island connected the two areas between 1941 and 1963, according to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. The ferry was operated by private and municipal companies, providing transportation for workers, residents and commuters, Hahn said.
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