Water Taxi Proposed for Ventura County

VENTURA — A water taxi service to ferry visitors around the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard will be considered today by the Board of Supervisors.

If approved, three boats will offer service every 30 minutes, beginning this summer.

Taxi service now is provided by a private company, usually by appointment.

The proposal is for the Harbor Department to operate daily boat service, picking up passengers from various sites along the five-mile-long harbor, at a cost of between $1 and $2.

The idea is to stimulate business by providing easier access to the harbor’s shops and restaurants.

The county proposes to spend about $5,000 to operate the service for six months. The estimated cost of purchasing and maintaining the boats is about $55,000, said Lyn Krieger, Harbor Department director.

A test run of the program last year drew about 1,000 people in one weekend, harbor officials said. “It was a phenomenal success because people were able to get throughout the harbor at a reduced charge,” said Thom Moore, owner of the Salty Dog gift and furniture shop. “It was like a free ride at Disneyland.”

The water taxi service is the first part of a master plan approved in May 1998 to renovate and revitalize the harbor.

“People ask for it and are disappointed when it’s not available,” said DeAnn Wood, co-owner of Pirates Grub and Grog restaurant.

In addition to boosting tourism, Harbor Director Lyn Krieger said the service would benefit the about 12,000 residents who live within a mile of the harbor.

“Now, even if you live close to the harbor, if you want to get to the other side, you have to get in your car and go,” Krieger said.

The Harbor Department has proposed a six-month lease, with the option to buy three boats from Harbor Hopper, the private operator. A concessionaire would contract with the county to provide the service.