Olympics water taxi service between Long Beach, San Pedro takes a step forward

In their pursuit of keeping people out of their cars during the Olympics, Los Angeles County leaders will consider installing a water taxi for the 2028 Olympics to transport fans between San Pedro and Long Beach, where multiple events will be hosted.

County Supervisor Janice Hahn introduced a motion Wednesday during Metro’s Olympics and Paralympics committee meeting to launch a feasibility study assessing ridership demand, cost and possible routes. The motion was unanimously approved by the committee members and public comment was overwhelmingly supportive, with some residents suggesting a water taxi be installed sooner to accommodate for the upcoming months-long closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

“If we’re serious about the 2028 Games being transit-first, we must make transit safe, accessible, reliable and fun for people, and we can’t only rely on our buses and trains,” said Hahn, who chairs the committee. “[The water taxi] would give residents, workers and tourists an affordable alternative to driving and parking at these Games venues.”

The motion was co-authored by Mayor Karen Bass, Metro board members Fernando Dutra and Jacquelin Dupont-Walker, and Inglewood Mayor James Butts. The study will be delivered back to the board in 90 days.

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So far, San Pedro isn’t slated to host any events, but will serve as the “Croatia House” — a cultural hub for Croatia’s athletes, leaders and tourists. That agreement was made last year between L.A. City Councilmember Tim McOsker and Zlatko Mateša, the president of the National Olympic Committee of Croatia. Long Beach will host 11 events, including beach volleyball, water polo and rowing.

Los Angeles faces challenges in meeting its transit goals for the 2028 Games, which Bass proposed as a “car-free” Olympics, largely dependent on the acquisition of thousands of buses to transport fans to venues across the region.

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the city has received leasing commitments for about 650 buses. Officials’ goal is to lease nearly 3,000 buses for a price tag of roughly $2 billion. Metro previously asked the federal government to cover the funding in a request for $3.2 billion toward Olympics projects. But as the Trump administration has threatened funds across multiple departments, the monies remain in flux.

Hahn previously told The Times that Metro will move forward with its plans under the assumption that funding will be fulfilled.

The water taxi would offer alternatives to bus needs and was presented as a way to alleviate congestion along the two bridges connecting San Pedro to Long Beach and surrounding roads. Fans would be able to park in San Pedro, or board the ferry from Metro’s J Line.

There is precedent for the ferry service, Hahn said, citing an operation that once shuttled passengers between the Terminal Island fishing village and San Pedro. That ferry ran from 1941 to 1963, according to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, which is housed in one of the original ferry buildings.