Metro - File #: 2025-0921

• File #: 2025-0921
• Type: Motion / Motion Response
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 10/14/2025
• In control: Executive Management Committee
• On agenda: 11/20/2025
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE a feasibility study of water taxi service between San Pedro and Long Beach (Attachment A).
• Sponsors: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• Indexes: Aquarium of the Pacific, BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant program, California Environmental Quality Act, California State Transportation Agency, Capital Project, City of Los Angeles, Construction, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Fuels, Gateway Cities (Southeast LA County) Service Sector, Gateway Cities subregion, Grant Aid, Hybrid vehicles, Long Beach, Maintenance, Motion / Motion Response, National Environmental Policy Act Of 1969, Olympic games, Partnerships, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, Procurement, Program, Public private partnerships, Public service, Rolling stock, San Pedro, Security, South Bay Cities subregion, South Bay Service Sector, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, Taxi services, Testing, Tourism, Travel time, United States Department Of Transportation, Water control, Wildlife, Zero Emissions, Zero-Emission Truck Collaborative, Zoning

Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
NOVEMBER 20, 2025

Subject
SUBJECT: FEASIBILITY STUDY OF WATER TAXI SERVICE BETWEEN SAN PEDRO AND LONG BEACH

Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE

Heading
RECOMMENDATION

Title
RECEIVE AND FILE a feasibility study of water taxi service between San Pedro and Long Beach (Attachment A).

Issue
ISSUE

At its May 2025 meeting, the Board approved Motion 9 by Directors Hahn, Butts, Dutra and Dupont-Walker directing the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to explore the feasibility of establishing a water taxi service between San Pedro and Long Beach for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (Attachment B). This report provides an overview of the study and a discussion of the results.

Background
BACKGROUND

Water taxis and passenger-only ferries are used in many parts of the world and in the United States for marine transportation. Typically, the term, "passenger-only ferries" refers to passenger services (no vehicle transport) on fixed routes and schedules (also referred to as "water buses") while "water taxis" operate on flexible routes and schedules based on demand. For the purposes of this report and for maintaining consistency with the language of the Board motion, the two terms are used interchangeably since a service plan is yet to be established.

In the United States, water taxis and passenger-only ferries are found in coastal and inland waterways in cities like New York, Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area and Baltimore. Services are provided by private operators that charge fares and fees, by public agencies, or some combination of both private and public entities. Six California transit agencies in San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Stockton and Eureka operate ferry services. Among the top ten public transit providers in the U.S., King County Metro in Seattle and MBTA in Boston operate ferries. In Southern California similar services exist current...