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Old 10-25-2012, 01:48 PM
gg gg started this thread
 
Location: Pittsburgh
26,137 posts, read 25,977,619 times
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Target 11 Investigates proposal to bring water taxis to... | www.wpxi.com
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Old 10-25-2012, 01:58 PM
 
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Someone tried a ferry for commutes into town from a Millvale park-n-ride. It failed miserably.
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Old 10-25-2012, 02:12 PM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
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My wife and I took one a few years ago from the Strip to watch the fireworks at PNC park, it was a good time. Just not profitable for the owner unless PAT takes it over and gives pensions.
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Old 10-25-2012, 03:11 PM
 
Location: Mt. Lebanon
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Honestly I don;t understand why this wouldn't work. It's faster. In Europe this has been done fore decades. In Venice (Italy) people take water taxi to go to work. In Istanbul (Turkey) they take boats pretty much like New Yorkers take the subway. In Netherlands they have it; in London they have it (be it for visitors). why not here? I don;t understand.
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Old 10-25-2012, 03:20 PM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XRiteMA98 View Post
Honestly I don;t understand why this wouldn't work. It's faster. In Europe this has been done fore decades. In Venice (Italy) people take water taxi to go to work. In Istanbul (Turkey) they take boats pretty much like New Yorkers take the subway. In Netherlands they have it; in London they have it (be it for visitors). why not here? I don;t understand.
It's tough to make time in a no wake zone.
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Old 10-25-2012, 03:29 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 33,018,179 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XRiteMA98 View Post
Honestly I don;t understand why this wouldn't work. It's faster. In Europe this has been done fore decades. In Venice (Italy) people take water taxi to go to work. In Istanbul (Turkey) they take boats pretty much like New Yorkers take the subway. In Netherlands they have it; in London they have it (be it for visitors). why not here? I don;t understand.
Such services can work in particular circumstances, but usually they require heavy subsidies. And here, I think the basic problem is they are going to be too slow, given where the terminals can be located, to compete effectively with the alternatives for more than a small handful of potential passengers.
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Old 10-29-2012, 02:27 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh/Anchorage
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It seems like the previous attempts (and this one) were more of a structured, scheduled ferry system. But I don't see why a privately owned true water taxi operator like the one pictured would not be successful.



Minimal docking facilities and infrastructure required. Considering how hard it is to get a cab in town, it would probably be easier to hail one of these!
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Old 10-29-2012, 02:40 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 33,018,179 times
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Originally Posted by PITairport View Post
Minimal docking facilities and infrastructure required. Considering how hard it is to get a cab in town, it would probably be easier to hail one of these!
You are still going to have some fixed costs--equipment, maintenance, insurance, labor time, and so on. If you don't get enough passengers at high enough fares, you will bleed money.

And most people don't live right on a river around here. Many are in fact uphill from the nearest one.
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Old 10-29-2012, 03:10 PM
 
Location: southwestern PA
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I LOVED the water taxis in Boston and used them plenty during a recent trip.

I too wonder why we don't have them here....

Decent stops would be convention center, Strip, North Shore, South Side, Station Square... maybe the Waterfront.
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Old 10-29-2012, 03:49 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PITairport View Post
Minimal docking facilities and infrastructure required. Considering how hard it is to get a cab in town, it would probably be easier to hail one of these!
It won't be easier.

We have to walk to the hotels to grab a taxi. With water taxis, we'll have to walk to the water.

The hotels are more conveniently located to where people are at downtown than the water is.

There are huge parks and highways dividing people from the water.

It would be different if there were businesses and establishments right along the shore.

For now, it will only work during festivals and other events located near the water.

That's not enough business to keep a water taxi business in business.
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