Miami Beach residents can ride a free water taxi across Biscayne Bay to downtown Miami, offering a roughly 20-minute alternative to driving across the causeways.

The city operates the commuter service between Maurice Gibb Memorial Park at 18th Street and Purdy Avenue in Sunset Harbour and the Venetian Marina & Yacht Club at 1635 N. Bayshore Drive in Miami. Each vessel is about 40 feet long and can carry up to 55 passengers, according to the city's water taxi page.

The service runs Monday through Friday. Boats depart every 60 minutes from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and every 30 minutes from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. There is no weekend service during the initial rollout, and the water taxi does not operate on observed federal holidays unless otherwise noted.

Riders can bring bicycles and scooters aboard at the captain's discretion if space allows. Service animals are permitted.

Free transit connections extend the trip

On the Miami Beach side, the South Beach Trolley and Freebee on-demand shuttle connect with the water taxi, giving riders free transportation to other parts of the city. Parking is available at Lot 46 at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park and the Sunset Harbour Municipal Parking Garage at 1900 Bay Road. A Citi Bike station is at the northwest corner of Purdy Avenue and 18th Street, next to the stop.

On the Miami side, riders can connect with Miami-Dade County buses, Metromover and the Downtown-Brickell Freebee shuttle.

Water taxi now appears on Google Maps

The water taxi is integrated into Google Maps as a transit option. When users search for destinations near the Miami Beach and Miami stops, Google Maps can display the water taxi among available travel modes.

The city highlighted the service on its verified X account Monday, Oct. 5, describing it as a scenic and sustainable alternative to driving across the bay.

Miami Beach launched the free service Jan. 20 as part of an effort to provide another commuter option between Miami Beach and the mainland.

Service costs about $1.2 million this fiscal year

The water taxi is operated by Water Taxi of Miami Beach LLC under an agreement with the city. The service is budgeted to cost $1,194,904 from its Jan. 20 launch through Sept. 30, with funding supported by a $600,000 Florida Department of Transportation grant and $600,000 in matching city funds.

The estimated cost of operating the service for a full 12 months is about $1.44 million.

Ridership climbed quickly after the launch. By April, the service was averaging more than 1,000 riders per day, according to city data provided to the Miami Herald.

The city continues to collect rider feedback through a survey on its water taxi webpage.