THERE IS A NEW, speedy way to get to San Francisco from Marin that doesn't involve cars, buses, roads,
bridges or ferry terminals: All weather water taxis are here.
Now Tideline is developing pick-up locales in the county: 39 Liberty Ship Way in Sausalito, Sam's Anchor Cafe in Tiburon and Cavallo Point near Fort Baker among them. Anyone in Tiburon and Belvedere with a dock can also request service.
The taxi — which bills itself as the fastest way to get to San Francisco from Marin — marks a new era in
transportation on the bay, one in which Tideline Marine Chief Executive Officer Taylor Lewis sees enormous
potential.
"This was built for local people in mind to get people back and forth from San Francisco and Marin County," said Lewis, who spent two years working on the plan he presented to the Port Commission. "It allows people to be more efficient with their time. We can take people to Pier 1-1/2 in San Francisco in 14 minutes, or Fort Mason in 12 minutes."
That is a major time savings for people who otherwise would be at the mercy of traffic and public transit, he said.
"For a lot of people it comes down to a question of, 'how valuable is your time?'" Lewis said.
But time costs money.
One-way fares for the service range from $65 to $95 to go from Marin to a San Francisco
locale, with prices ranging from $35 to $50 within Marin. The fare covers two people, with an additional person in the same group charged another $10.
"It's comparable to land taxi or town car service, and the more people in a group you have the more you can split costs," he said.
Presently the service has one, 12-passenger boat. Two more boats capable of carrying up to 25 people are expected to arrive in the next couple of months. Lewis envisions as many as five boats in his fleet, with service extending as far as San Rafael.
Tiburon resident Bob Hamer has tried the service and was impressed.
"I work in the city and my preference is to take the ferry, but the ferry schedule doesn't always fit my work
schedule," said Hamer, a business and technology consultant. "I have also found with the work going on along Doyle Drive, my commute can be longer, especially on Thursday and Friday nights. This will be much quicker."
Hamer also enjoys the views the water taxi provides.
"Coming back into Marin you see Mount Tam and the Golden Gate Bridge, it's one of the most beautiful places on the globe," he said. "There are so many interesting things to see from the water. The service is a great addition to the amenities we have."
The on-demand, point-to-point service has been popular already, running from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. on some days,
Lewis said.
Water taxis are a popular form of transportation at many of the world's major cities, and with the America's Cup on the way, AT&T Ballpark at hand and the new Exploratorium set to open in 2013 — all accessible by water —
the Port Commission believed a taxi service was ready to launch.
"Water taxis would seem to logically have a significant role to play in this anticipated growth of San Francisco's tourism and travel trade," according to a commission report.
The port commission collects 7 percent of its gross revenues from operations. A second operation, San Francisco Water Taxi, was also given permission to run, but it only takes passengers to and from docks within San Francisco.
Golden Gate Ferry, which runs boats from Sausalito and Larkspur into San Francisco for between $5 and $6 one way with a Clipper card, doesn't see the new taxi service as competition.
"They will serve a different population," said spokeswoman Mary Currie. "We are here for the public, but it's great that there is a local private taxi for those who might need it. It's another transit option."
Submitted by Mark Prado
RATES & SCHEDULING
Click Here for their website for fares, photos, and info
Sample one-way fares for Tideline Marine Group water taxi service from Sausalito to:
• Cavallo Point: $35
• Tiburon: $45
• Hyde Street Pier (Fort Mason): $65
• Pier 1-1/2 (Ferry Building): $75
• Pier 40 (AT&T Park): $95
All fares are for parties of up to two. Parties of three or more pay an additional $10 per person.
— Source: Tideline Marine Group
Contributed from the Marin IJ
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