Supporters hope that water taxis like this one in Fort Lauderdale will soon be plying the waters of Palm Beach County. Photo provided
By Jane Smith
Water taxis may soon be traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach County.
The County Commission recently directed staff to create a one-stop registry for water taxi operators between Boca Raton and Jupiter.
“Every city gets it,” says Richard Radcliffe, executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities and coordinator of the water-taxi task force. “Everyone would like to have it, and it would raise the quality of life.”
He estimates the county has 19 cities with access on the Intracoastal. He envisions winter visitors buying a day pass for a water taxi in Delray Beach, lunching in Jupiter and then dinner in Boca Raton before sailing back to Delray Beach.
The start date for the water taxis remains unknown because the business side of the service still has to be worked out. Plus, the size of the county — 41 miles from Tequesta to Boca Raton — may be a drawback. Boat operators may end up serving a portion of the county, Radcliffe said.
In Boynton Beach, a few operators have inquired about using the water taxi dock, built using federal tax dollars, at the city’s marina, according to Vivian Brooks, executive director of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. “The issue is: How do you make a business model to make it work,” she said.
The county is trying to remove barriers by creating the registry, Brooks said. Each city would then have to determine what its licensing and other requirements would be.
In Lantana, the town is interested in the service. “We are in favor of anything to help the businesses downtown,” said Maggie Barszewski, a planner for Lantana.
Although there is a public boat-launch, the town doesn’t currently have a public marina. This fall, after the bridge that crosses the Intracoastal Waterway connecting Lantana with Manalapan reopens, there will be six public day docks that a water taxi might use, she said.
Delray Beach is waiting to see what the county creates before determining whether a water taxi dock is needed and a good location for it, said Rich Reade, sustainability/public information officer. “Still we would want to look at it,” he said, because it can reduce traffic on the roads.
Boca Raton also is interested in the countywide water taxi system, said Assistant City Manager Mike Woika. But the city has not identified any sites for a water taxi dock.
Many components are needed to make the water taxi service work, said Angela Morlok, a planner with the Metropolitan Planning Agency. She described the components as signs advertising the water taxis and a website where potential users could check schedules and rates.
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