Miami Beach to float free water taxis weekdays starting in January

Written by Kelly Sanchez on December 22, 2025

The Miami Beach City Commission on Dec. 17 unanimously passed a resolution to enter an agreement with Water Taxi of Fort Lauderdale for a new free water taxi service that will begin late in January.

The project is moving forward after its success during Art Week Miami Beach for the past two years, according to a news release announcing the water taxi.

“I’ve been actively working to bring a free water taxi system to Miami Beach – a game-changing initiative that can alleviate traffic congestion through cleaner more efficient transit,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner in the news release. “It’s an exciting time to move forward with mobility projects that truly improve the quality of life for our residents and visitors.”

The water taxi will operate Monday through Friday, excluding national holidays, and will run between the Venetian Marina & Yacht Club in Miami and Maurice Gibb Memorial Park in Miami Beach. It will run roughly every 60 minutes on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and every 30 minutes on weekdays from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The city said the service will not initially operate on weekends but didn’t specify when the weekend service might begin.

The two 40-foot vessels can each carry 55 passengers.

The total cost of the water taxi service for the 2026 fiscal year is just under $1.2 million without including pass-through fuel charges, according to the agreement. Miami Beach officials anticipate a potential future north-south expansion along the western portion of the city and service along Indian Creek waterway contingent on additional funding.

Other transit options in and around Miami Beach include Miami-Dade County transit buses as well as the city’s free trolley system and its free on-demand transit service in parts of Mid Beach and North Beach through a partnership with Freebee.