Midday sailings on West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi continue through winter
Cross posted from Captain’s Blog
This fall and winter, the King County Water Taxi will continue to be a transportation option for riders going to and from West Seattle and Vashon. On Monday, Oct. 14, sailings from Seattle’s Pier 50 will continue from downtown to Seacrest Dock in West Seattle. The popular midday service between downtown and Vashon will stay in place Monday through Friday for the fall and winter.
“Service to West Seattle and Vashon has become a valuable part of the regional transit system, and I am pleased to see that riders have taken advantage of the expansion of the Vashon service’s midday trips to and from downtown,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “It’s exciting to know those trips will continue to provide critical transportation options for residents into the fall and winter.”
Treat yourself!
Enjoy a 15-minute ride to West Seattle or a 22-minute sail from Vashon and take in the panoramic views of the Seattle city skyline and Mount Rainier on your way to the waterfront. Both routes will be operating the day after Thanksgiving, so riders can make plans to get some Black Friday bargains!
“This will be the first winter that residents from around the region can take advantage of midday water taxi service to Vashon, five days a week,” said King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who represents Vashon Island on the Council. “This winter, Vashon residents will not have long waits to come into Seattle, and I’m sure people are planning on holiday shopping day trips into Vashon! Those coming from Vashon to Seattle for medical appointments can utilize Solid Ground’s Downtown Circulator to get up ‘Pill Hill’ at no cost. Riders going to Vashon can enjoy a ride on the water taxi and meet a Metro bus that picks you up right at the Vashon Ferry Terminal and brings you to the downtown hub of Vashon and back.”
West Seattle Service
The seven-day-a-week service will run from approximately 6 a.m. weekdays (8:30 a.m. weekends) to 7 p.m. Weekday sailings will leave the dock every 35 minutes during peak commute hours and every hour during the mid-day, and on weekends. Friday, Oct. 11, is the last day for late night sailings after 7 p.m.
During commute hours, riders can take the free Metro shuttles to and from the Water Taxi landing at Seacrest Park. Route 773 serves the West Seattle junction. Route 775 serves the Admiral District and Alki. The fall/winter schedule begins Oct. 12. The online fall/winter schedule will be updated on Oct. 11.
| Seattle (Pier 50) to West Seattle | Depart West Seattle (Seacrest Dock) to Pier 50 |
| 5:55 a.m. | 6:15 a.m. |
| 6:30 a.m. | 6:50 a.m. |
| 7:05 a.m. | 7:25 a.m. |
| 7:40 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. |
| 8:15 a.m. | 8:35 a.m. |
| 8:50 a.m. | 9:10 a.m. |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. |
| 11:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 12:30 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 1:30 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| 2:30 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 3:25 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. |
| 4:05 p.m. | 4:25 p.m. |
| 4:45 p.m. | 5:05 p.m. |
| 5:25 p.m. | 5:45 p.m. |
| 6:05 p.m. | 6:25 p.m. |
| 6:45 p.m. | 7:05 p.m. |
Saturday/Sunday
| Depart Pier 50 to West Seattle | Depart West Seattle to Pier 50 |
| 8:30 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. |
| 9:30 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. |
| 11:30 am | 12:00 p.m. |
| 12:30 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 1:30 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| 2:30 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 3:30 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 4:30 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| 5:30 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| 6:30 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. |
Vashon Service
The expanded service with the four roundtrip midday sailings will continue Monday through Friday.
The expanded bus service on routes 118 and 119 will remain in place to support riders on the midday service:
| Seattle (Pier 50) to Vashon | Vashon Ferry Terminal to Seattle |
| 5:30 a.m. | 6:10 a.m. |
| 6:38 a.m. | 7:10 a.m. |
| 7:40 a.m. | 8:15 a.m. |
| 8:50 a.m. | 9:25 a.m. |
| 11:25 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 12:45 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| 3:00 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. |
| 4:30 p.m. | 4:58 p.m. |
| 5:30 p.m. | 5:58 p.m. |
| 6:30 p.m. | 6:58 p.m. |
How much does it cost to travel by Water Taxi? Adult fare to West Seattle is $5.75 one way ($5 with an ORCA card). Fares to Vashon are $6.75 for adults ($5.75 with an ORCA card). Don’t have an ORCA Card yet? MyOrca.com is the place to go to purchase a card. If you want to use your mobile device to pay your fare, download the Transit GO Ticket app prior to boarding. Young people up to 18 years old can ride the Water Taxi, and most regional transit, for free!
“The Marine Division looks forward to continue welcoming passengers from West Seattle and Vashon this fall and winter,” said Marine Division Director Terry Federer. “We’re especially excited for those riders from Vashon that have enthusiastically supported the expanded midday trips knowing that service is part of our winter schedule.”
The water taxi will not be in service on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.