In a continued effort to keep people out of their cars for the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics—which the City of Long Beach will be investing $700M-plus in infrastructural upgrades and venue build-outs—Metro will look into the feasibility of having a water taxi shuttle spectators and participants between San Pedro and Long Beach.
“If we’re serious about the 2028 Games being transit-first, we must make transit safe, accessible, reliable and fun for people, and we can’t only rely on our buses and trains,” County Supervisor and Metro Board of Director Chair Janice Hahn said. “[The water taxi] would give residents, workers and tourists an affordable alternative to driving and parking at these Games venues.”
What a water taxi for the Olympics means.
Hahn—who’s never been one to tiptoe around bold transit ideas, like her pulling the plug on the 91 expansion project—introduced a motion during Metro’s Olympics and Paralympics committee meeting on Wednesday to explore just how feasible a water-based route could be. Think ridership projections, route planning, and costs. The motion passed unanimously and received strong public support, with some residents pushing to launch it before 2028—especially with the looming, months-long closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
The water taxi concept was unanimously backed by Mayor Karen Bass, Metro board members Fernando Dutra and Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, and Inglewood Mayor James Butts. A full study is expected back in 90 days.
San Pedro’s role in the Olympics.
While San Pedro isn’t hosting any competitions, it’ll become “Croatia House,” a cultural hub for the Croatian Olympic delegation thanks to a deal struck by Councilmember Tim McOsker and the country’s Olympic committee. Meanwhile, Long Beach is going full host mode, taking on 11 Olympic events including beach volleyball, water polo, and rowing.
The water taxi for the Olympics are just one part of a larger transit plan by Metro.
Metro’s bigger Olympic transit plan hinges on securing nearly 3,000 buses to shuttle fans across the region. So far, officials say they have leasing commitments for about 650—with a nearly $2B price tag for the full fleet. Yes, billion with a B. The agency asked for $3.2N in federal funding, but that money’s still in limbo given past threats to cut funds under the Trump administration.
Still, Hahn says Metro’s charging ahead assuming the money will come through.
The ferry, she noted, wouldn’t just be nostalgic—it’d also help ease pressure on the bridges connecting Long Beach and San Pedro, offering fans a scenic way to ditch their cars and avoid traffic. It also wouldn’t be unprecedented: from 1941 to 1963, a ferry once connected the Terminal Island fishing village with San Pedro, docking at what’s now the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.
Looks like what’s old might be new again—just in time for the world’s biggest stage.
