Miami Beach is powering toward a water taxi service connecting the island to the mainland.
In June, commissioners unanimously approved authorizing the city administration to negotiate with Water Taxi of Fort Lauderdale LLC, the top-ranked water-taxi service proposer to respond to a city request.
As noted in the commission memo accompanying the legislation, the city has “long recognized the potential benefits of waterborne transportation as a sustainable, efficient, and congestion-reducing alternative to traditional road based transit.”
Although the city is on track to launch a water taxi service, this isn’t Miami Beach’s first try doing so.
In June 2024, says the memo, the city launched a one-year water taxi pilot program with Poseidon Ferry LLC connecting the city and Miami. However, the program didn’t succeed.
“Despite the pilot program’s intent to serve as a stepping stone toward a long-term water taxi solution,” says the memo, “the pilot program experienced many operational challenges, including repeated service interruptions, mechanical failures, and customer service issues.”
Ultimately, the agreement with Poseidon Ferry was terminated.
In March, city officials authorized a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) that “invited experienced water taxi operators to propose sustainable, innovative and financially viable service models that enhance connectivity, reduce roadway congestion and integrate seamlessly with Miami Beach’s existing transit infrastructure.”
RFQ responses were due by May 5, and the city got three. On May 14 the city manager appointed “an evaluation committee” that convened May 23 “to consider proposals received.” Top ranked was Water Taxi of Fort Lauderdale.
Commissioner Alex Fernandez supported the initiative but stressed the importance of the commission receiving information as to what is negotiated in order to ensure it serves the commuting needs of the residents.
“This, really, I think is going to be transformative,” he said. “I just want to make sure that this item does come back, something that’s negotiated with the selected vendor, with the proposed route, with the right structure. I want to make sure that before anything gets executed, that this commission, as a governing body for the city, does get to see that, and the only reason why I wanted to, though we trust the administration’s ability to handle this, our experience with water taxis has been a little bit troubling in the past. This is very different.”
There were parallel items years ago, said Mayor Steven Meiner, who said he had brought into “this current version of what’s the water taxi. There was also a private entity that, as you mentioned, call it as it is: it failed spectacularly. It was not operating well, and it was expensive. I did not support that item.”
This effort seeks not just a corridor to Miami but also a north and south water taxi, said Mayor Meiner.
Efforts to add funding have been made.
“One of the items, and I’ve spoken to this to the administration about and I’m also personally making the outreach, but we need to try to get additional grant funding,” said Mayor Meiner. “This is a win-win for the county. This is a win for the state, and it’s a win for the federal government, too. We did get a $600,000 grant from the state, from FDOT (the Florida Department of Transportation), but we have to continue to implore them.”
Following further discussions, Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez asked if it had been considered “just sending a resolution to the county that they should chip in. I mean, we’re kind of partners in the [Miami Beach] Convention Center. This water taxi, we’re using our tourism tax funds. My motion would be to pass this and at the same time send a resolution to the county asking what they could potentially contribute to this water taxi, because I think that they should want to have some ownership of it too, because eventually they might be able to expand water taxi service along our waterways.”
Mayor Meiner supported a funding request to the county and noted he would add state and federal governments as well, as there is “potential funding everywhere.”
Commissioner Joseph Magazine suggested asking the City of Miami too.
“If we’re going to spend $600,000,” said Ms. Rosen Gonzalez, “why don’t we ask the City of Miami for $200,000 and the county for $200,000, and that way we’re equal partners and we have the grant funds too. It’s going to save us half a million dollars if they say yes.”
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