Clevelanders can now beat traffic in the Flats by forgoing their cars altogether.
A new water taxi dubbed the Harbor Hopper will transport passengers down the Cuyahoga River. The vessel is owned and operated by the Cleveland boat tour agency, Cleveland Tiki Barge.
The taxi service will take passengers from the Tiki Barge hub on the West Bank of the Flats to the East Bank, Collision Bend Brewing Company and BrewDog Cleveland Outpost, owner Brittany Orlando said.
Cleveland Tiki Barge is also partnering with businesses in the city to promote restaurants and bars along the river, Orlando said.
“Every time you board you get a wristband,” Orlando said. “That wristband is a ticket basically to certain establishments who have exclusive offers for our taxi guests.”
Orlando, who is also a board member of the nonprofit Flats Forward, said the goal of the service is to provide transportation to visitors that are out late in the Flats.
Orlando worked with other stakeholders to develop the new transport as an option in addition to the water taxi operated by Cleveland Metroparks, she added.
“[We] were in discussion about how the current taxi is underutilized,” Orlando said. “[It has] very limited times and doesn't support people who are out late at concerts across the way.”
Orlando plans to expand the Harbor Hopper’s stops to Edgewater Beach and North Coast Harbor, she added.
Passengers can track the taxi by scanning QR codes outside of each location, Orlando said. The tracker will give updates on the boat’s arrival and departure times.
The boat is U.S. Coast Guard-certified vessel but is not wheelchair accessible, Orlando said.
The taxi service aims to limit the time eventgoers spend in traffic on land, Orlando said.
“Our pricing for one stop to get across the river is comparable to what Ubers and Lyfts charge to get across, but then our guests won't have to wait in traffic on land,” Orlando said.
Passengers can purchase one-way tickets for $10, unlimited day passes for $25, weekly passes for $65 and season passes for $199.
The ferry is currently open Sunday-Thursday from noon to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until midnight, according to its website.
