Metro Board Approves Hahn’s Olympic Water Taxi Feasibility Study

Water Taxi would operate between San Pedro and Long Beach

LOS ANGELES — During its meeting May 22, the Metro board of directors approved a motion by its chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn to explore the feasibility of a water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games. The City of Long Beach will host 11 sports during the Games — the second most of any city behind Los Angeles. 

“Since I floated this idea last month, it has been making waves and people are genuinely excited about it. A water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach would be a fun way for thousands of people to get to Olympic events and a creative way to get people out of their cars and reduce traffic on our bridges,” said Hahn. “I appreciate the unanimous support from my colleagues on the Metro Board and I am looking forward to getting Metro’s report back and moving full steam ahead.”

Hahn’s water taxi will offer a public transport connection for San Pedro and surrounding communities, as well as for riders along Metro’s J (Silver) Line, which runs along the El Monte Busway and Harbor Transitway from El Monte to San Pedro via Downtown Los Angeles. Olympics attendees could also park at the Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena and take the J Line to San Pedro to catch the water taxi, significantly relieving traffic congestion in and around Long Beach and on the Vincent Thomas Bridge. 

There is precedent for Hahn’s proposed water taxi; a water ferry service between San Pedro and Terminal Island existed before the construction of the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The ferry was operated by both private and municipal companies and provided transportation for workers, residents, and commuters. 

The water taxi proposal has earned widespread support. Hahn’s motion was co-authored by her colleagues on the Metro Board, Mayor Karen Bass, Metro Vice Chair Fernando Dutra, Inglewood Mayor James Butts, and Director Jacquelin Dupont-Walker. During the meeting, representatives of ILWU Local 13, Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, Long Beach Councilwoman Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Long Beach Councilwoman Mary Zendejas, the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, the LA Maritime Institute, the Battleship Iowa, and LA Harbor Commissioner Lee Williams voiced their strong support for the proposal.  

Details: Read the full motion here: 2025-0418 – FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR WATER TAXI SERVICE BETWEEN SAN PEDRO AND LONG BEACH MOTION – Metro Board