Free Miami Beach water taxi officially begins service

Zoom in: Water Taxi of Miami Beach — whose sister company operates paid rides in Broward County — will run ferries between Maurice Gibb Memorial Park and the Venetian Marina and Yacht Club (also known as Sea Isle Marina).

• They will run about every hour on weekdays from 7am to 4:30pm and every 30 minutes on weekdays from 4:30 to 7:30pm. (Service will officially begin Tuesday at 8:30am following a 7:30 launch ceremony.)
• The service will not initially operate on weekends. Each 40-foot boat can hold up to 55 riders.

Catch up quick: The city used the same water taxi route during Art Basel two years in a row.

• The city's previous attempt at launching a water taxi failed in 2024 due to maintenance problems.

Zoom in: The new service — approved as a five-year contract — will cost about $1.2 million this fiscal year, split between the city and a state grant.

What's next: Officials are considering a future north-south expansion of the service along the western end of the city, as well as along the Indian Creek waterway.