Press Release:
This year, West Seattle commuters won’t have to say goodbye to the West Seattle Water Taxi for its winter hibernation. The King County Water Taxi will continue to operate commuter service through fall and winter on the West Seattle-Downtown Seattle route starting Monday, Nov. 1.

The new commuter schedule will sail weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Starting Monday, Nov. 1, the water taxi will sail every 20 minutes while the vessel Sightseer, owned by Argosy Cruises, replaces the Rachel Marie, which is undergoing repairs after colliding with a pier on Sept. 26. While the Sightseer provides the West Seattle Water Taxi service, passengers will arrive and depart from Pier 55 in downtown Seattle and from Seacrest Dock in West Seattle.

“When it comes to moving people and cutting through congestion in this region, the solution is all about giving people more options, and I am committed to making the water taxi a safe and reliable transportation option for commuters,” said Ferry District Chair and King County Councilmember Jan Drago, who represents West Seattle and Vashon Island – the two communities that the King County Water Taxi currently serves. “This move to year-round service on our West Seattle route will go a long way toward giving commuters the consistency, reliability and frequency they need to make the water taxi part of their daily commute.”

The new fall/winter service for the West Seattle Water Taxi will operate weekday mornings and evenings only. Weekend service and midday sailings are expected to return for the spring/summer season starting in April 2011. Vashon Water Taxi passengers will continue to use Pier 50 in downtown Seattle, with no changes to their year-round schedule.

Also new this fall, water taxi passengers can purchase one-way fares for both the West Seattle and Vashon routes from recently installed ticket vending machines located at the three King County-operated passenger ferry terminals—Pier 50, Seacrest Dock, and Vashon Island. The ticket vending machines accept credit cards and debit cards, but not cash or coins. Tickets purchased from the vending machines are nonrefundable and do not guarantee a seat on a particular sailing. Fares for both the West Seattle and Vashon routes are summarized as follows:

Fare Type

Adult — cash/ticket West Seattle $3.50 Vashon Island $4.50
Adult—ORCA/transit pass
West Seattle $3.00 Vashon Island $3.75
Youth (6-18)—cash/ticket
West Seattle $3.50 Vashon Island $4.50
Youth (6-18)—ORCA/transit pass
West Seattle $2.25 Vashon Island $2.75
Senior / Disabled
with valid Regional Reduced Fare Permit
West Seattle $1.50 Vashon Island $2.00
Children under 5
West Seattle Free Vashon Island Free

For more details about schedules, fares and service, visit: www.kingcounty.gov/watertaxi.

When you visit the website, you can also sign up for the water taxi e-mail alert system that notifies passengers of delays, cancellations, and other disruptions to both the West Seattle and Vashon routes. Future changes to the fall/winter schedule and a change from Pier 55 to Pier 50 in downtown Seattle will be announced by water taxi email alerts. Passengers are encouraged to sign up for alerts for the water taxi and other King County Metro Transit service to stay on top of the latest transportation information. Information about the Transit Alerts can be found online at: www.kingcounty.gov/metro.

To connect with the water taxi in West Seattle, there are two free King County Water Taxi bus shuttles that operate between local neighborhoods and Seacrest Park. Shuttle Route 773 serves West Seattle Junction, and shuttle Route 775 serves the Admiral District and Alki Avenue Southwest. Riders can also use Metro routes 37 and 53 to get to the Seacrest Park dock.

The King County Ferry District is a special purpose government created to provide passenger ferry service in King County. The Ferry District’s Board of Supervisors is composed of the members of the King County Council. The King County Marine Division operates the service under the name King County Water Taxi. For more information about the King County Ferry District visit www.kingcountyferries.org.