A water taxi connecting San Pedro with Long Beach got a boost from LA Metro, which received responses from several ferry companies willing to make it happen as part of an innovative transportation strategy to lessen road traffic during the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Three experienced operators, Harbor Breeze Cruises, Hornblower Yachts, and SF Prop, expressed interest in the project in addition to other firms that would provide digital ticketing and vessels, including one company that coordinated water taxi service for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The July 16 report includes respondents who answered an LA Metro Request for Information from April 7 to find operators and partners willing to ferry passengers across L.A. Harbor in July and August 2028 during the Olympic and Paralympic games.
“This report confirms what I’ve believed from the beginning: a water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach isn’t just a fun idea — it’s a realistic one and we have experienced operators who want to make it happen,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who has been leading the effort since April 2025.
“The Olympics are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase Los Angeles and a water taxi across our iconic harbor would be an unforgettable experience for residents and visitors alike, Hahn added.
A ferry service for 47 days would cost between $913,000 and $1.4 million, depending on the type of boats and the fleet configuration. This is very close to what “turn-key operators” estimated, with their upper range reaching about $1.5 million, the report stated.
Hahn said the potential operators see the focused Olympic service “as proof of concept for a permanent cross-harbor water transit connection after the Games.”
A passenger ferry would replace driving freeways and crossing over bridges between the two cities, cutting down on vehicle miles traveled and tailpipe pollution, LA Metro reported.
Preferred landing sites are Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach and West Harbor in San Pedro, said the report.
A one-way ride would range from 30 minutes on a faster, 32-knot vessel, and up to 55 minutes with a low-speed 10-knot vessel, the report stated.
This may be about equal to driving time, or faster, depending on traffic.
Typically, costs for passenger ferries in other U.S. cities range from $1 to $9.75 for one-way adult fares, said the report. The report does not suggest a fare for this water taxi, saying only it should integrate with its TAP card payment system. A one-way ride on a LA Metro train or bus is $1.75.
The report said traffic would be congested between the two areas during the games. Long Beach will host 11 sporting events for the Olympics, and seven events for the Paralympic Games.
The Port of Los Angeles will host six boating/sailing events, recapturing the last time the harbor hosted such events during the 1932 Olympic Games.
In addition, San Pedro will host an Olympic fan zone. Recently, the president of the Croatian Olympic Committee signed an agreement to establish Croatia House in San Pedro, a cultural venue celebrating Croatian heritage during the Olympics and serving as a gathering place for athletes, fans and locals, LA Metro reported.
“Establishing a water taxi connection would not only support crowd flow and regional mobility but also spotlight San Pedro as a welcoming and dynamic part of the Olympic and Paralympic experience,” wrote LA Metro in a feasibility report in May 2025.
The San Pedro Chamber of Commerce has been pushing for such a water taxi for more than 20 years.
“I can’t wait for a water taxi. And I’m so encouraged (by the report),” said Elise Swanson, president and CEO of the Chamber. “I am very excited because that means they see the potential for operating this water taxi during the Olympics.”
Christian Garcia, who works at Big Nick’s Pizza in San Pedro, said everyone from workers to customers are keeping fingers crossed. He said the inflow of tourists on the boat rides would help with business. “We’re looking forward to it. It will help us with business during that time,” he said on Monday.
The biggest problem is lack of funding, according to the report.
Obtaining federal or state grant funding for a short-term service would be unlikely, the report said. The report is looking toward local jurisdictions to provide what’s called “local return funding.” This includes the city of Los Angeles, city of Long Beach and Los Angeles County.
“The cost of a water taxi would be a drop in the bucket of Metro’s $9.7 billion budget. We are asking Metro to get creative and look beyond its traditional funding sources,” Hahn said on Monday.
Another problem is timing.
To get a service up and running by July 2028, LA Metro must ask for proposals to operate the water taxi by October. It would have to execute a contract with a ferry operator by July 2027, giving the proprietor less than a year to plan and test the service, which should begin provisional operations by May 2028.
Swanson said residents of San Pedro and Long Beach would take it. Metro reported that riders from El Monte and central and south Los Angeles can ride the J Line Bus Rapid Transit alongside the 110 Freeway and get a bus connection to South Pacific Avenue and West 21st Street in San Pedro, near where the water taxi would ferry them to Long Beach, thus avoiding freeway traffic and parking fees at venues, said Hahn.
“We are hoping the Olympics are just the beginning,” said Swanson. “That this would become a permanent form of transportation between Long Beach and San Pedro.”