Chicago Water Taxi to return to daily service for the first time since pandemic

In 2019, the Chicago Water Taxi carried some 400,000 passengers from March through the end of November. Service was suspended in 2020. Then, with fewer weekday commuters, the water taxi pivoted to focus on tourists in 2021 and 2022, operating for a shorter season and only on weekends.

Last year, the Chicago Water Taxi didn’t begin service until late September, and a lone boat operated only Tuesday through Thursday — the busiest commuting days — and only during rush hour. The company provided about 15,000 rides during the season, Sargis said.

The taxi company had faced labor challenges in prior years after losing and furloughing employees during the pandemic. Getting certified to operate the boats can take years, but training efforts are now coming to fruition, labor challenges are easing and the company is able to offer more frequent schedules, Sargis said.

This year, Wendella has already begun providing weekend service with one boat. The company plans to run more boats during the summer, increasing the frequency of service.

Rush-hour service will focus primarily on the stop that serves two Metra hubs, Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station, and in between peak periods service will run to Chinatown, Sargis said.

The water taxi is also offering commuter passes, and partnerships with downtown office buildings to subsidize tickets for tenants. Sargis said the program is a win-win, encouraging more commuters to take the water taxi and more employees to head into offices.

The taxi service has no plans for now to return to its Chicago Avenue and Goose Island stops, but could in the future, he said. The company has kept its leases on the docks and maintains equipment there, and can run special service to the area if requested, such as corporate trips to the Salt Shed.

Regularly scheduled service is expected to run at least through the end of November.

“We think this year will be certainly a big success,” Sargis said. “We’re really excited to get back out there.”