County Floats Plan to Expand Harbor’s Water Taxis

A water taxi service that would regularly ferry tourists and locals around the Channel Islands Harbor will be considered by the Board of Supervisors today.

The idea is the first step of a master plan aimed at drawing more tourists and locals to the area, harbor officials said. If approved, three boats will offer service every 30 minutes around the five-mile route from Harbor Landing to Fisherman’s Wharf by June.

Taxi service is currently provided by a private company called Harbor Hopper. But the service is often by appointment only, and, according to proponents of the public service, most visitors end up driving the five miles around the peninsula to get to businesses.

Private operator Cynthia Lyon said the time is ripe for the county to take over the taxis because she can’t afford to continue her business, which she has operated since 1989.

“All my money goes into it, and it’s not subsidized like a lot of other transportation,” Lyon said. “I just can’t afford to run it the way the harbor needs it.”

Lyon said she didn’t provide service during weekdays last summer because of cost. On weekends, the taxi picks up passengers from six locations every 35 minutes for fares between $1 and $5, depending on the length of the ride.

According to the county proposal, the service provided by the Harbor Department would cost less--between $1 and $2--and many visitors would get free tokens. The hours of operation would also be longer, from noon to 10 p.m.

Lyon said she hopes a consistent, county-funded water shuttle will help revitalize the area by allowing people to go from the beach to restaurants across the harbor by boarding the boat instead of climbing in and out of a car.

“We have an absolutely gorgeous place and we need to showcase it by moving people along the water,” she said.

The county will spend about $5,000 to operate the program for six months. If the county commits to the program long term, the estimated cost to purchase and maintain the boats is about $55,000, said Lyn Krieger, Harbor Department director. The county may get a transportation grant to offset the cost, reducing the county’s net cost to $10,000 a year.

But even if it does not receive the grant, harbor officials estimate the county’s maximum annual cost at $55,000 a year. If approved, the expenditure would not break the Board of Supervisors’ pledge not to spend money on new programs because the money would come out of a special fund made up of harbor profits.

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A test run of the program last year was wildly popular, drawing about 1,000 people in one weekend, despite the fact that it not publicized, business and harbor officials said.

“It was a phenomenal success because people were able to get throughout the harbor at a reduced charge,” said Thom Moore, owner of the Salty Dog gift and furniture shop. “It was like a free ride at Disneyland.”

The water taxi service is the first part of a master plan approved in May 1998 to renovate and revitalize the harbor by connecting the east and west sides and expand the existing shopping center--Fisherman’s Wharf--with shops, restaurants, a movie theater and a post office.

Business owners said the harbor desperately needs a consistent water taxi service to serve tourists.

“People ask for it and are disappointed when it’s not available,” said DeAnn Wood, co-owner of Pirates Grub and Grog restaurant.

In addition to boosting tourism, harbor director Lyn Krieger said the service would benefit the estimated 12,000 residents who live within a mile of the harbor.

“Now, even if you live close to the harbor, if you want to get to the other side, you have to get in your car and go,” Krieger said.

The Harbor Department has proposed a six-month lease with an option to buy the three boats owned by Harbor Hopper.

A concessionaire would contract with the county to provide the service.

“We wanted to make sure we weren’t going to hamstring ourselves financially,” Krieger said of the decision not to buy the boats initially.

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Harbor Hopper’s boats were custom built in Washington and modeled after water taxis used in a successful service in Vancouver, Canada, Krieger said.

After the water taxis are up and running, other elements of the master plan will be implemented. For example, a community center is set to open this summer to host special events and sailing and kayak classes.