Miami Beach has officially unveiled a free water taxi service connecting the Sunset Harbour neighborhood of Miami Beach with downtown Miami, marking a fresh chapter in the city’s transportation story and expanding how locals and visitors experience the bay.
The scenic, no-fare service runs across Biscayne Bay between the dock at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park in Sunset Harbour and the Venetian Marina & Yacht Club in downtown Miami, offering an alternative to the often-congested causeways and a chance to embrace Miami’s waterfront as a living part of daily mobility.
“This initiative finally allows us to utilize our greatest natural asset, our waterways, to provide a reliable alternative for commuters,” Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said in remarks at the launch. “It’s an exciting time to move forward with mobility projects that truly improve the quality of life for our residents and visitors.”
A Scenic, Practical Bridge Over Congestion
The 40-foot vessels — each capable of carrying up to 55 passengers — complete the roughly 20-minute voyage across the bay on a regular schedule: about every hour during weekday mornings and early afternoons and every 30 minutes during evening peak hours.
“We haven’t explored our waterways as a means of mobility,” Miami Beach Transportation Director José González said, noting that “our roadways are very constrained” with only three causeways linking the barrier island to the mainland. “As a result of that, traffic congestion is a key issue in our city.”
Unlike past, fare-based ferry pilots that struggled with reliability and ridership, this year-round water taxi is structured as a public service supported by Miami Beach and a state grant, making it truly free to ride and better integrated with existing transit options like the city’s trolley system.
More Than a Ride — A Lifestyle Experience
Beyond convenience, the water taxi already feels like part of Miami’s cultural rhythm. Early riders described the service as both practical and enjoyable, echoing experiences first seen during special deployments of water taxis during events such as Art Week and Art Basel Miami Beach — two of Miami’s signature cultural seasons.
“It was great … like we’re having fun,” said Jane Kviat, a visitor from Mexico City who rode the taxi after its inauguration. “It’s a very easy way to go there, to go back and forth and have fun.”
That blend of efficiency and pleasure is part of what makes the water taxi appealing to locals and tourists alike: it’s not just a route, it’s a Bayfront experience that celebrates the city’s unique geography.
Connecting Community and Culture
The launch comes at a time when Miami Beach and Greater Miami are redefining their urban identity through public infrastructure that doubles as cultural enrichment. By freeing riders from stop-and-go traffic and offering panoramic views of Biscayne Bay and the skyline, the water taxi underscores the city’s longstanding relationship with its waterfront.
City officials say they hope to expand the service in the future — potentially adding north-south routes along the Indian Creek waterway and extending connections to broader parts of Miami Beach and Miami.
For now, the water taxi is running Monday through Friday, with tickets not required and no fares to collect — a bold step in reimagining transit as both community amenity and cultural asset.
